Le Forum, Vol. 40 No. 3 Lisa Desjardins Michaud

The University of Maine DigitalCommons@UMaine

Le FORUM Journal Franco-American Centre Franco-Américain

Fall 2018 Le Forum, Vol. 40 No. 3 Lisa Desjardins Michaud

Gérard Coulombe

Denise Larson

Amanda Chassé

Grégoire Chabot

See next page for additional authors

Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/ francoamericain_forum

Recommended Citation Desjardins Michaud, Lisa; Coulombe, Gérard; Larson, Denise; Chassé, Amanda; Chabot, Grégoire; Beaulieu, Timothy; Marceau, Albert; Myall, James; Beebe, Suzanne; L'Heureux, Juliana; Emond, Charles John; Paradis, Roger; LeGallant, David; Sand-Roi, Virginie; Roberge, Debbie; Lapierre, Daniel; and Chenard, Robert, "Le Forum, Vol. 40 No. 3" (2018). Le FORUM Journal. 89. https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/francoamericain_forum/89

This Book is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UMaine. It has been accepted for inclusion in Le FORUM Journal by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UMaine. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Authors Lisa Desjardins Michaud, Gérard Coulombe, Denise Larson, Amanda Chassé, Grégoire Chabot, Timothy Beaulieu, Albert Marceau, James Myall, Suzanne Beebe, Juliana L'Heureux, Charles John Emond, Roger Paradis, David LeGallant, Virginie Sand-Roi, Debbie Roberge, Daniel Lapierre, and Robert Chenard

This book is available at DigitalCommons@UMaine: https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/francoamericain_forum/89 Le FORUM “AFIN D’ÊTRE EN PLEINE POSSESSION DE SES MOYENS”

VOLUME 40, #3 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018

Websites: Le Forum: http://umaine.edu/francoamerican/le-forum/ Oral History: Francoamericanarchives.org Library: francolib.francoamerican.org Occasional Papers: http://umaine.edu/francoamerican/occasional-papers/

other pertinent websites to check out - Les Français d’Amérique / French In America Calendar Photos and Texts from 1985 to 2002 http://www.johnfishersr.net/french_in_america_calendar.html Franco-American Women’s Institute: http://www.fawi.net $6.00 Le Forum Sommaire/Contents Lettres/Letters...... 3, 37 History of Lewiston’s Bonneau Markets on display L’État du ME...... 4-19 Monsieur Arthur Décary James Myall...... 14-18 Le Centre Franco-Américain by Gérard Coulombe A Rough First Week of School for Université du Maine Lewiston’s Dominican Sisters Orono, Maine 04469-5719 [email protected] All Too Clever to Rush Ahead of An Idea Téléphone: 207-581-FROG (3764) by Gérard Coulombe A Franco-American Company in the Mexican Border War Volume 40 Numéro 3 Accomplished Franco-Americans FALL/AUTOMNE by Denise Larson 2018 Suzanne Beebe...... 20-21 Celebrating a 150-Year Legacy in Greater Publishing Board Aimons Notre École Lowell Don Levesque by Amanda Chassé Paul Laflamme Lin LaRochelle Charles John Emond...... 22-29, 31 Louella Rolfe Riddle Me This They Came to Our Valley Kent Beaulne by Grégoire Chabot Joe Arsenault Roger Paradis...... 28 Tony Brinkley Une Question sans réponse (page 43) Justice For Les Acadiens Du-Madawaska- Rédactrice/Editor par Grégoire Chabot Américain Lisa Desjardins Michaud David Le Gallant...... 29 L’État de New Hampshire...... 30-31 Se Défaire Du 28 Juillet Infâme De Mise en page/Layout Summer in New Hampshire Lisa Desjardins Michaud Patrimoine Canadien... by Timothy Beaulieu Composition/Typesetting Coin des jeunes...... 42-43 Lisa Desjardins Michaud L’État du CT...... 20-25 Pumpkin Harvest At Farmer Roy’s A (Not So) Brief Guide to Celebrate Aide Technique La Récolte de Citrouille à la Ferme de Roi Lisa Desjardins Michaud Summer and Fall with Books Published by by Virginie L. Sand-Roi the NMDC of Franco-American Literature Tirage/Circulation/4,500 and Culture Genealogy...... 44-50 by Albert Marceau Imprimé chez/Printed by Earl Joseph Fernald (1924-1933) Centre Franco-Américain, Orono, Maine Juliana L’Heureux...... 11-13, 19 by Debbie Roberge Publié 4 fois l’an par le Centre Franco‑Américain. Le Grand Dérangement described in Lapierre Family Le Forum est distribué surtout aux Franco‑Américains Madawaska Centennial Journal Submitted by Daniel Lapierre des États‑Unis. Les énoncés, opinions et points de vue formulés dans Le Forum sont ceux des auteurs et ne représentent pas nécessairement les points de vue de Gold Star Mother Emma Martin Morin of Les Familles Dubé l’éditeur ou de la rédactrice, ou du Collège des arts et Biddeford by Robert Chenard des sciences libéraux à l’Université du Maine. Le Forum is published 4 times a year by the Abbonement au Le FORUM Subscription Franco‑American Center. Le Forum is distributed in Si vous ne l’êtes pas abonnez-vous –– s.v.p. particular to Franco‑Americans in the United States. Statements, opinions and points of view expressed are –– Subscribe if you have not not necessarily those of the editor, the publishers or the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences of the University Nom/Name: of Maine. Tous les textes soumis doivent parvenir à —For- Adresse/Address: ward all submitted texts to: Lisa D. Michaud, Rédac- trice-en-chef/Editor-in-chief, Le Forum, University of Métier/Occupation: Maine, Orono, Maine 04469-5719, U.S., au plus tard quatre semaines précédant le mois de publication—at Ce qui vous intéresse le plus dans Le FORUM section which interests you the least four weeks prior to the month of publication. most: Les lettres de nos lecteurs sont les bienvenues— Letters to the Editor are welcomed. Je voudrais contribuer un article au Le FORUM au sujet de: La reproduction des articles est autorisée sans I would like to contribute an article to Le FORUM about: préavis sauf indication contraire—Our original articles may be reproduced without notice unless otherwise indicated. Tarif d’abonnement par la poste pour 4 numéros L’équipe de rédaction souhaite que Le Forum soit Subscription rates by mail for 4 issues: un mode d’expression pour vous tous les Franco‑Amér- États-Unis/United States –– Individus: $20 icains et ceux qui s’intéressent à nous. The staff hopes Ailleurs/Elsewhere –– Individus: $25 that Le Forum can be a vehicle of expression for you Organisation/Organizations –– Bibliothèque/Library: $40 Franco‑Americans and those who are interested in us. Le FORUM Le Forum et son staff—Universitaires, gens de la Centre Franco-Américain, Orono, ME 04469-5719 communauté, les étudiants -- FAROG, 2 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 Mom for molding you and for sharing you Lettres/ in our lives! Mother’s are precious to each and every daughter. Letters Lisa, I wish you a blessed life with God always at your side! To Le Forum: Thank you my friend for your loving friendship, you will always be in my heart. I am writing this letter to acknowledge l to r: Armand, Fern, my friend, Lisa Michaud to thank her for Merci Beaucoup! fixing the following photo of my Uncles. Wilfred & Laffy This photo had a large white area on it prior was so dear to my heart I was 5 years old Diane Bourque Tinkham to Lisa fixing it. when he died while on duty. Old Town, ME Lisa you cannot comprehend how I remember his visit to our home to happy and proud that you made me and my say goodbye to his oldest brother, my Dad, precious Uncles, the Bourque brothers, who Emerie George Bourque. I also remember To Le Forum: all served in World War II. when his body returned, we were at the I will treasure the work you did for railroad station in Waterville waiting for his This is to cover the next four issues my Uncles to answer my quest of having casket. I also have photos of Leon, Mom and of Le Forum. We enjoy the articles very my dream come true to be able to give to my I. At the grave site I remember the 21 gun much particularly those concerning Bidd- Aunt, Jackie Charron, the last survivor of 14 salute, I was so scared as I had never heard eford where Jeannine was born and raised. children of Rosanna and George Bourque. guns before. I took a and held my Mom’s fur We hope that this finds you well and I know my father is proud of me es- coat tight, as my sister, Juan was in her arms. we wish you continued success. pecially the love I cherish in my heart every Lisa, I am so blessed to have you at the year to honor the Bourque Brothers. Franco-American Centre and being there for Sincerely, Dad loved his brother Fern as he was whenever I need help with anything. Your Bill & Jeannine Lucey dear to his heart, as he was his Godson. quality of love and concern for others can be Pinehurst, NC Uncle Fern was never married so he attributed to your Mother. God Bless your

To Le Forum:

Your summer 2018 issue of Le Fo- it by suing the strongest language that he devaluation of our people. Will this whittle rum is stellar! Le Forum issues have all can. He is drawing our attention to these away U of Fort Kent Maine until gone? been substantial. There is so much in this plans of the U of Maine System Board of Roger Paradis does important work by issue, everything from the excitement of Trustees “to transfer, actually confiscate, shedding light on this blatant discrimination. 1500 people attending a Franco American the Elementary and Secondary Education Event, the third annual NH PoutineFest---(I programs of UMFK” to Presque Isle. The U can’t wait to go next year!) celebrating life, of Maine System Board of Trustees are also getting together and having fun in our Fran- planning to take away the “highly successful June Turcotte co-American (including Acadian) culture , BSN program of nursing,” and to even cut North Hampton, MA with popular soul food, good local baseball French programing, rather than promote it as (the Fisher Cats), modern Québec music, a proven product. He makes it clear that the etc.---to its polar opposite: the startling Acadians of la Vallée-du-Haut-Saint-Jean photo of the public, solitary witness of Roger have been “treated like reservation Indians.” Paradis holding a sign: “INSTITUTIONAL (Indigenous people deprived of their rights). RAPE/RACISM,” protesting in front of the And he wants “this exploitation and discrim- University of Maine at Fort Kent against ination” to stop and these programs restored. the University of Maine System Board of As an Acadian and French Canadian Trustees. American, I want to express my gratitude Roger Paradis’ letter is addressed to to Roger Paradis. He has written some of Maine’s Governor LePage, Maine Senators the most informative, clear, relevant articles and Representatives, to Le Forum, Veritas about Acadians that I have ever read. (There Acadie, and Assn. Française. In it we is one in this issue (Vol. 40 #2): “L’influence can read about this “INSTITUTIONAL d’un livre”, “Placide Gaudet’s: Le Grand RACISM.” (Being a woman, I prefer not Dérangement”). Evidently the present to use the term rape this way, as rape is a situation at UMFK is so urgent that he has specific violent crime.) I understand that interrupted his research on the Acadian Roger Paradis is so horrified by the system- Holocaust to answer the call of his fellow atic racism and “plans” for UMFK, by the Acadians, people of the Valley, and UMFK (More from Roger Paradis see page 28) Board of Trustees of the Maine University to shed light on what is happening there now. System, that he wants us all to know about It saddens me that there is such continuing (More Letters on page 10) 3 Le Forum River, for the purpose of establishing an Monseigneur Arthur Décary orphanage and private school for day student and residential students, as well as land on From: a Memoir, Leaving Maine* which a hospital was built, now defunct, a By home for nuns, and for a convalescing & Gérard Coulombe nursing home which still operates, privately. Born: Biddeford, 1931 I do recall attending the Scout camp one summer. On my first day in the camp In 1940, my parents and my two sister man and two for a woman. But I do not recall sleeping quarters, I witnessed another scout and I moved from Bradbury Street in Saint which it was except that my mother used to among us who fell to the floor in what I later Joseph’s Parish to Freeman Street in Saint stop what she was doing to pay attention to learned was a fit. That’s what we called it; André’s Parish, or from the west side, the the number of times the church bell rang. for it wasn’t until later that I learned it was a Irish section of town to the east side the Frequently there was a clue when a daily malady. I was doubly startled by the prompt totally French Canadian or Franco American mass announcement might have included a action of the adult who stuck a swagger stick side of town where everyone spoke French, request to pray for someone mortally ill and sideways between the boy’s teeth. I learned only. I recall that it was on the day and at not just the announcement for whom mass something that day. I transferred to the Sea the time that the Révérend Père Zénon Dé- was being celebrated. Scouts. Don’t ask me why. cary, saintly older brother of Mon Seigneur Our mother, after pausing, and noting As I was already an altar boy or server, Arthur Décary was being buried, for our the number of times the sexton rang the having served mass at Saint Joseph’s, I was moving van was headed down Bacon Street hell, she could say Madame or Monsieur so an altar boy at Saint André’s. I frequently and had been stopped in front of Borduas’s served 6:00 a.m. mass because I easily Shoe Store on Bacon Street by a Biddeford lived within a short walking distance of the policeman on patrol duty for the funeral to church; if I ran, I could be there and dressed allow the cortège to proceed from the church in all of five minutes. to the Reverend’s intermediary resting place The priest, Father Décary was an at Saint Francis College on the Pool Road. early riser. I did not need any lights to get The Décary brothers had to have been around once inside and up the stairs to the from a wealthy Québec family. They were nave and a few more steps to the sanctuary very generous to the parish and beyond to and from there, a short distance to the left or the community they served. From the big, right where our lockers were. I hopped into white, three-story parish house with its bit my cassock and pulled the surplice over my veranda and enclosed widow’s walk, they head, passed a hand over my hair to set it, figuratively looked East, from the top of and I was ready for the service. Lights on, the hill beyond the Westbrook Skating rink strike a match to a wick and walk up to the in it’s heyday and practically the rest of altar to light the candles. As we faced the the length of the Pool Road which ends at altar with our backs to the congregation, we the spit of land and water which was better looked up to the tabernacle where the Lord known to outsider’s in my growing up was locked up but present in the communion year and before as Biddeford Pool or “The hosts. High above was the ever-burning red Pool” where wealthy out-of–state gentility chandelier hanging by a chain to the ceiling. vacationed summers coming up in their and so had passed. And that habit set off a Its red glow symbolized His ever presence. black-chauffeur driven limousines to their pattern in their lives, which involved a visit Rarely did the man or woman who already opened homes overlooking Saco to the funeral parlor and attendance at a resided at the organ in the balcony and who Bay and to the Ocean beyond. church service. started the mass immediately upon seeing The church itself faced Bacon Street Father Décary, the younger, had invit- the priest and I step into the sanctuary, and stood at the corner of Bacon and High ed Franciscans to staff what would become walked to the foot of the altar where we Street at the top of which was Pool Street. I Saint Francis College on land purchased and turned left to face the altar as we had done would guess, that one could not very well see donated by the brothers for the purpose of before, together, and he had done just so the top of High Street from the opened bell having an operative Franco-American col- many more times in his lifetime than I ever tower where the big bells hung and where, lege in town. Saint Francis College operated did in my youth or later, although I did offer rung by hand, bells rang loud whenever by Franciscans priests and brother and a to serve when I was in the service and attend- the bedeau rang whenever called upon to school for young girls was founded on that ed services where I was stationed. do so. The tolling of the bells in a Catholic land. Zénon was buried on his own patch Already, as I knelt, a boy of eight or parish was a frequent reminder that life was of land, land dedicated to God in memory nine by now, I knew from the smell of garlic a passing event. of the priest for whom many prayed that he that father had had his fill the night before, The bells were always rung at noon become a Saint and for whom they sought as we were, in those days, to abstain from and for Sunday masses and during the week beatification. food before communion. But Father Décary for those who had passed. There was a dis- Monseigneur Décary also saw to the reeked of garlic to the point of making me tinction made in the number, as in one for a construction on land, again along the Saco (Continued on page 5) 4 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (Monseigneur Arhtur Décary continued from have and, as I was to learn at the time, that wanted to move back to the parish that he page 4) often was why they were Saints. had helped to grow in the early years of its nauseous when I was cued to recite the One had to be alert to this happening existence. I spent the fifth and sixth grades Confiteor. as a catcher on a trapeze. For my part, I was with the Brothers of the Sacred Heart whom As the nausea crept up, my recitation afraid that if I reacted in a mistimed fashion, I knew about because I had an uncle, my went faster. As I went faster, father started I might chip a tooth or peel back the skin father’s brother, who was one of them as- shuffling his size seventeen, extra wide, covering the lower lip. Father wasn’t all that signed to Le Collège de Victoriaville, P.Q. well broken in, black Brogans. I learned that limber. He was big and strong on his feet, but These brothers were as tough as they had to signal warning as a necessary retreat from he couldn’t have been a lumberjack walking be. Lessons were mostly in French, even as my fast paced recitation of the Confiteor. I a log floating downriver. the Second World War was progressing and had to start all over again, and over again if While the pastor’s older brother had even though the State of Maine then required he did not think I was giving the Confiteor the makings of a saint because even before instruction in English. Many boys in atten- the respect that it deserved, it was then in his death, saintly acts were already being dance were intent not on and education so that moment of tension between the two of attributed to him. He was such a holy man much as they were biding their time, even us that I knew that I had to slow down and in life that many old parishioner and some as they were being implored by their parents if I did not, he had me start all over again, young ones expected him to perform mir- to take advantage of the education offered. as many times as it was necessary for me to acles, and, according to many respondents Many just waited in ignorance, so to speak, get it right. I never knew what those in their to queries, once upon a time, Zénon Décary for the opportunity to get a job in the mills. pews knew of what was gong on or might had performed a goodly number of miracles. The older boys were starting to fall to the have been alert enough to notice. But, I’m Even my mother would vouch for that today draft, leaving the door open for boys to lie certain that those in the front rows, shrinking were she still alive, as But Le père Arthur about their birth date so they could ease their in their clothing to warm up, already knew Décary trudged along, taking great strides as way from school where they were not learn- the trouble that I was in and were willing to he was, somewhat stoop shouldered, his hair ing to work where they could be earning, watch until the end of Mass. disheveled driven, soulfully toward his goal or until age and draft caught up with them. With those feet and limbs, Father Dé- as he walked self-assure and determined to Maybe those were not the time to be young. cary could walk at a steady pace with a long reach his goal in good time. Stop and offer I was hoping that a priest would tap stride. I once or maybe twice accompanied him a ride? No way! It was all constitutional. me to be sent to seminary. My father was him on his morning jaunts to the college. The brother priests knew my father, Thinking that the novitiate of the These were frequent, week after week walks. and he knew them. My grandparents whom brothers would suit me. My mother, I believe Not a word was spoken. He would pause I never knew were parishioners and one or wanted neither of my choices. But she would infrequently, and it was only to see where the other priests or even both could have accept whatever choice I made freely. I en- I was along the way. Did he need to adjust led them to eternal rest. When the parish tered the novitiate, after a lot of prayer, in his stride or sped? NO! I had to run when decided to build a school for boys and girls, the summer before seventh grade. Then, as I lagged too far behind just to catch up. He grades one through eight for boys and one we approached the end of the academic year, did not own a car. I suppose that if he needed through twelve for girls, Father Décary, hav- I came down with Leggs Perthes Disease, an automobile for transportation there was ing paid for the school and having found an which, at the time, was treated by bed rest always someone ready to lend assistance. order of nuns as teachers was looking for an and immobilization. No getting out of bed. Altar boys had a schedule. It was good order of brothers to teach the boys. My father Our family doctor said to my mother when to have a schedule. I liked the weddings or had a brother in the Order of the Brothers she asked him about it, that I had TB of the funerals. The funerals kept me out of class of the Sacred Heart. Thus my father got in bones. My mother did not believe him. She mornings. The wedding meant that I worked touch with his brother in Victoriaville, PQ. prayed to Zénon Décary for a miraculous the altar on a Saturday and learned some And the order agreed to take on the mission. recovery, as did my aunts who were religious things important about wedding. I thought Décary had both residences built, one for sister in Montreal who in turn prayed to their then that photographers were intrusive, and the brothers and one for the nuns. The lat- own candidate for sainthood. Mother gave father was attentive and insistent that proper ter was attached to the church, and I recall the priest credit for the cure a year later, by decorum was always maintained. He was not attending Monseigneur Décary there as he that time; I had skipped just about two years afraid to stop in mid ceremony to correct said mass for the nuns. For me, these visits of school when I entered my freshman year some indiscretion. to the nunnery chapels were very chapel. It at Saint Louis in Biddeford. Other than that, communion required a job that I had started when I was attending attention to the person accepting the host on Saint Joseph’s elementary and in first grade, Note:* For those who might disagree with my the tongue. No hands permitted. No picking and I always recalled the getting up at five remembrances, I will call upon my father to up if it fell. It was my job to catch the host a.m., getting dressed and walking unassisted be first to correct me. If he does, I will admit when it slipped off the tongue in cases of dry in the dark up the gardened walkway to the my errors and submit a correction. G.C. mouth and went into its free fall. Although I front door of the convent, wondering about was intent on picking up the host, father was the “guibbeux” moon and then, saved by the so quick in his reaction that he was bumping Virgin Mary, being unafraid to ring the big into me to retrieve the Body of Christ. I don’t doorbell, and having to wait for “la portiere” know what might have happened to me in to open the front door. * those days, had I touched it. But some Saints In retrospect, it could be that my father 5 Le Forum the “chicanerie” was about in our all boys’ class that nearly all of us spent most of our All Too Clever To Rush Ahead of class time trying to embarrass the teacher. It succeeded all too often which caused him to An Idea stop teaching and to take up his preparation par Gérard Coulombe for another class. It was still a time when there was little respect for proper education [There were times when all of which confused, saddened and the angriest when I in our town’s only Catholic high school. that follows had been pulled together, all too could not get out of a jam and allowed that I The distractors made the state of education cleverly, in one topic sentence. I predictably had to walk through the only unlocked door dissolute—boys lounged around, ignored rushed ahead as the idea developed far ahead to the house by walking through the shed the teacher, spoke out of turn. It was done of my ability to send my fingers flying so and, upon passing through the back door, to all French style, simple diffidence at times expertly to hit the computer keys. The result suffer the slam of the broom on my backside out of personal, self-destructive ignorance. worked well while the mind stayed on task, when my mother stepped out from behind I would not participate. My view could but a quirk that caused a finger to hit delete the door and swung the broom in a way to not win over those who did not like that I provided a blank page without possibility, in connect with my behind, for she felt she disapproved. the confusion of what had happened, to be could land a solid blow upon my backside. There are many instances when as a able to retrieve the opening paragraph of this Allow me to dwell on “shame” for a child you encounter fear. There is always paper, which, here, starts all over again, and, while longer. The first floor of our flat had a bully around who experiences a thrill not as cleverly as did the original. a room with a toilet, no bathtub or sink. A whenever he knows that he is a victor if he When I was a child, I knew that I could window over the kitchen sink opened to can impose his will upon you with a threat hold my pee for a time longer than urgency provide ventilation. to one’s face or a blow to the body. telegraphed the brain. In a house serving two What embarrassed me the most was By the time I had enlisted at sev- parents, and three children, the oldest being having to wait my turn, but particularly in enteen, confidence in myself had already me, I could “hold it in” as Mom used to ask the morning when I got up, or at any time become part of my training in part because me to do when we were walking home from of the day when a member of the family had of my basic training. We, in particular, the market as most people in our part of town slipped in to do what had to be done. What were subjected to the brutal punishment of did. Biddeford, Maine -- 1930’s.] I hated the most was having to wait outside a drill sergeant and the equally brutal dis- At an early age, I was already familiar the bathroom door, better for a chance to paragement of another. That kind of pincer with all of the following: shame, embarrass- squeeze by the one exiting, to get to sit on movement on a trainee could get the victim a ment, fear, confusion, sadness, and anger. I the throne safely to make a clean dump. dishonorable discharge. Your good luck was attribute this to the talks my mother gave me Otherwise, having to hold it was as good the ability to survive the pain and shame. It while she had me on her knees to console an opportunity for penance than any “Our was often like that as a pre-teen, somebody or to teach me. Father who art in Heaven.” knowing that he would be knocked down Out of diapers, and into white cotton It was not so much the fear of my pee- by a bully or close to being made to walk in underpants, I was often required to hold it. ing in my pants, as it was the fear of being tears the long distance home. As my mother said, as we walked home, caught with my corduroy knickers with the My confusion over my vocation “Can you hold it?” Of course, I could. blackening white underpants. evaporated after I left the novitiate. Having What was I going to tell her? But there Had I been wiser, I would have re- been brought up within the Franco Canadian/ were times with or without my mother; my called that every time that I was in a hurry American culture in which people had little father worked the day and night shift, when to pee, safely, in the potty, we lived on the choice but to offer thanks and prayer to God I walked curiously to keep myself from first floor, which in itself an t advantage, for whose wisdom provided for your vocation, peeing my pants. Running would sometime it allowed me to run out the back door, as meaning what you would become in life, it help, but only for a sprint. Hiding behind fast as I could, to pee against the road bank grew evidently clear if one’s eyes could be an elm never worked for the long distance. which had one disadvantage. It climbed opened to the possibilities offered to all, if If one were far enough ahead, who cared? uphill behind the house. More often than only they would follow the helpful tracks Mother could not see me. An elm tree trunk not, I chose running out, but I also stuck to of good education, financial standing, and would do. And there were many elms lining the hit or miss routine of being first at the helpful guidance that one could very well the streets; any of those worked fine. I had opened toilet door. be anything one wanted. The only advan- buttoned up before she got to me. “I was Embarrassment came later, when I tage one needed were parents who were resting.” I would say, as I picked up my was in high school, for I hated what far too financially advantaged so that they could cloth bags full of groceries. Had I asked many of my classmates did which was to most likely own or inherit their homes, had Mother what to do, “She would have said, talk out of turn to embarrass our teacher who sufficient money in the bank to grow in “”Quick, Gérard, find a tree and pee.” We was well trained in the French classics and wealth, buy their children the professional only spoke French at the time, so I don’t had us read from their works in class. We education that would advance their stand- know what it was she said that might have had a French Lit text, which included many ing in business, wealth, education, or to an sounded like her. excerpts from many French men and women occupation with preeminent standing in the At home, as children, we all experi- of letters. I recall reading Théophile Gauth- community. Lacking any of those choices, enced shame; I was most embarrassed by ier and Madame de Sévigné for that class. recurrent constipation; I was most afraid, Frankly, I didn’t know at the time what (Continued on page 7) 6 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (All Too Clever To Rush Ahead of An Idea continued from page 6) is a tough one. And so is anger. Perhaps I sister, brother-in-law died and sad, too, when was most angry when I missed attending my some of my students passed over the years. for most of us, the ladder that would have maternal grandfather’s funeral. I was there Sadness, as expressed by the tears shed, provided advancement proved unavailable, when his wife, my grandmother, died. That does not occur so readily now that someone but there was always the textile mill follow- was quite a story to internalize when I was so I know passes or that someone else I know ing grammar school. young, but, still, at the foot of her bed, on my very well is soon to pass because, I too will I had been lucky, even at an early age, knees, my hands clasped in earnest prayer pass, soon enough. For all the years that I to be provided the ability to climb the pro- for her immortal soul, I felt myself easing will have managed to live a little bit longer, I fessional ladder of the advantaged religious my way closer to her head, I slid sideways, do not forget all of the other relatives, some as a priest or religious. Having failed due to my hands clasped in prayer, with one knee by their histories, some by their obituaries illness and an adjustment in and reconsider- at a time joining the other, moving toward writ, at least, writ along the track of a road- ation of my goals after a long period of rest the whole of her head where I would be able side cemetery, were they all drawn together due to my illness, advanced schooling even to see all of her face and be witness to the by someone’s foresight. with a high school education was to me, at pace of her dying. The meaning of a good But, there’s a well established trend least, obviously unavailable. Even if, after and bad death had been so ingrained into our among some, to let them who pass to be hard work, working throughout high school, heads at that early age, that I had images, buried where they fall instead of bringing including a stint on in a textile mill on the one hopeful, the other doubtful—angelic them all back to a plot all their own where second shift, I managed to graduate from and devilish at the same time. they gather as family, once more. high school, without financial support from The anger over this reappeared when I Sorry, I have not attempted a family my parents and a lot of risk for them giving totally missed my grandfather’s passing. Al- tree, never mind a forest of sibling trees, they had nothing to start with other than the though I was present for his funeral, I do not for that matter, and so I leave this story by pay check that permitted their living from recall how I managed to attend my grand- hitting “save” for any of my own children week to week without managing to save mother’s funeral and not his. Maybe I was interested in reading this summary of grand- for extras, away at school when he died and, therefore, pa’s thinking. My goal, realized, far too early in life, older. That became a story in my life that left For some in the community being was to join them in the textile mills. All of me puzzled over many years, and probably French-Canadian meant that we didn’t my early playmates did that. And none of helped along with my mother’s antagonism amount to hill of dried, white beans and all my future wife’s graduating classmates went toward her sister, ingrained in my beliefs we knew was that we were here, in place, to college. The lucky two included the one about her, that it all became related to my and meant to stay. That was my thinking, who became an airline stewardess, and the dislike for my aunt Eva, even as it sinfully, and, I think that was a lot of thinking for perennial dancer in her youth who joined the hatefully permitted me to dwell upon her a boy of thirteen who wrote letters to the Radio City Corps Ballet. visage in the form of gargoyles, not any editor of the local daily newspaper about a I made a decision. I would leave town specific one—out of her mouth poured not legendary, but cruel, guerilla hero who went by enlisting in the military. Having failed rainwater but venom. She is dead. I do not by the name of Tito. that, I would have been drafted for the Ko- wish that she knew this. My mom is dead, so But, for me and my classmates starting rean War. The latter was a salvation for those the two of them might have had, by now, an in grade one, there was the Explorer Cham- who survived and used the G.I. Bill to further encounter with a chance to discuss together plain and, of course, the Credo and, let us their education. One became a professor of what I was thinking then. My mother might not forget, “O Canada, terre de nos aïeux” history at San Francisco State. have known all about that. I never did know was our anthem until United States President Sadness and anger are left on my list my own mother. Roosevelt declared the USA at War. of “which I was most” this or that. Sadness Yes, I was sad when my mom, dad, Accomplished Franco-Americans by Denise R. Larson Two Maine-born Franco-American women of incredible ingenuity achieved fame and fortune through invention and literature Helen Augusta Blanchard that a Franco-American descendant of a seventeenth-century Huguenot émigré was Recently I started taking creative the first to devise a method of over-seaming, sewing lessons. Working with comput- which is now called zigzag. Helen Augusta erized sewing machines that could make Blanchard of Portland, Maine, was granted six hundred patterns of fancy stitch made a patent for the machine with the innovative me curious about when the original, non- stitch in 1873. Designed for industrial use, Helen Augusta Blanchard straight, i.e., zigzag sewing machine was the machine revolutionized the textile in- courtesy of Wikimedia Commons first sold and who invented it. With a little dustry, which was very important to Maine’s digging, I was pleasantly surprised to find economy. Only after her patent expired did (Continued on page 8) 7 Le Forum (Accomplished Franco-Americans islands of Maine. Individually self-reliant and, finally, Jewett. continued from page 7) yet collectively closely intertwined, their Another French connection was Jew- lives hover on the edge of dramatic social ett’s grandmother Sarah Orne, for whom she the large sewing machine companies put changes at the end of the nineteenth century. was named. Orne is the name of a river in their version of the zigzag machine on the Jewett devised the story so as to preserve a northwest France as well as of a department market and developed it for domestic use. record of a way of life that she and all those in that region, having been formed from Born in Portland in 1840, Helen took around her knew was passing and would not the old provinces of Normandy and Perche. to tinkering with mechanical things at an come again. She also wanted to counter the Sarah credited her grandmother and her early age and eventually held more than two belittling attitude of wealthy Bostonians and heritage for the gaieté de coeur family char- dozen patents, most of them for industrial New Yorkers who did not know the depth acteristic that was evident in Sarah herself machinery. She amassed a fortune before she of the villagers feelings and misery nor the and her father. passed away in 1922. Though she lived in strength of their fortitude. Sarah Orne Jewett Sarah Orne Jewett went back to her New York, Philadelphia, and Rhode Island is considered to be America’s Jane Austen Norman roots when choosing the lead char- during her inventing and manufacturing for her rendering of the quiet qualities of en- acters of Pointed Firs. They are the Bowden career, her final resting place is Evergreen family, perhaps descendants of a Beaudoin Cemetery in Portland. line. In the novel she credits the Bowden’s French Huguenot heritage for their bravery in venturing to a rough new world and their being Norman Englishmen and women for their determination to hold on to their village and livelihood while all the world around them changes. Sarah died in 1909, in an era that was experiencing the introduction of many extraordinary inventions, such as electricity, the radio, the phonograph, the telephone, Sarah Orne Jewett trolleys, motorcars, and airplanes. She must have known that the world of her childhood was gone forever, but her efforts to preserve the concept of a turn-of-the-century northern New England fishing village insulated from the onslaught of revolutionary changes suc- durance and courtesy in hometown Mainers. ceeded. Her short novel is still widely read Sarah’s lyrical rendition of the and is honored as an American Classic. accent and colloquialisms of her characters For more information about the Hu- has been placed on par with that of her con- guenot expulsion from France and their temporary Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. settlement in England and America, please Both she and Twain are considered pioneers see the website of The Huguenot Society in the formation of a distinctly American of America: http://www.huguenotsocietyo- style of writing popular novels. famerica.org. There is an alphabetical list of Another new arena in which Sarah Huguenot ancestors whose lines have been was a strong influence was that of the preser- documented. vation of nature and its fragile environment. Her sensitive descriptions of flowers, trees, References: marshes, and waters are similar in depth to History and Genealogy of the Jewetts of America by Sarah Orne Jewett Frederic Clarke Jewett, M.D. Baltimore, Maryland, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons those of Henry David Thoreau, who work 1908. was widely read when she was a teenager. Mothers and Daughters of Invention: Notes for a Born September 3, 1849, in South (Thoreau is another Franco-American of Revised History of Technology by Autumn Stanley. Berwick, Maine, Sarah Orne Jewett was the renown. According to The Thoreau Society, Metuchen, N.J.: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1993. daughter of a country doctor. She enjoyed Patently Female: From AZT to TV Dinners, Stories his ancestors were Jean Thoreau of St. Helier of Women Inventors and Their Breakthrough Ideas accompanying him on his rounds visiting of the Isle of Jersey, and Philippe Thoreau, by Ethlie Ann Vare and Greg Ptacek. New York: John patients whenever she could. Her father saw a wine merchant.) Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2002. to her education, both in school and under Although Sarah’s seventeenth centu- Sarah Orne Jewett: A Writer’s Life by Elizabeth his guidance. She thought she might become ry ancestors were Puritans who arrived in Silverthorne. Woodstock, NY: The Overlook Press, 1993. a doctor but was drawn in the direction of Boston in 1638 from England, the family’s writing. earlier generations were French. Henri de Denise R. Larson is a free-lance writer and author Sarah’s most famous work, The Coun- Juatt was a Norman and a knight of the First who lives in the greater Bangor metropolitan try of the Pointed Firs, first published in Crusade. He founded the House of Juatt in area. Her novels are available through Apple’s 1896, is a tale of the inhabitants of a poor, England. Over time, the family surname iTunes bookstore. isolated village on the coast and nearby morphed into Juatte, Jowitt, Jouett, Jewet, 8 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 en son nom, votre diplôme de fin d’études! Aimons notre École Aimons notre École car nous la dev- par Amanda Chassé ons encore à nos bons parents, à nos amis, à tous les habitants de St. Agatha qui l’ont desiréee, l’ont appelée de leurs voeux et la (Recitation at her Graduation from St. Agatha soutiennent maintenant au prix de grands High School, aka Notre-Dame de la Sagesse sacrifices. Notre École est pour eux un High School, on May 22, 1911) honneur et une joie, un honneur parce qu’elle est à eux et qu’il est louable et digne d’un Soumis par Terry Ouellette peuple éclairé de travailler au progrès de Ste-Agathe Historical Society l’éducation, un joie, car elle permet à leurs enfants de terminer prés d’eux des études Le moment est venu pour nous de joie de constater combien Dieu l’a rendue avancées et cela à peu de frais. quitter notre École quand elle nous semble prospère... Pour moi, élève de cette École dont plus chère encore que jamais, et lorsque peut En effet dès sa première année, notre j’ai par couru tous les grades, de cette École être, nous venons seulement de comprendre Haute École, las chose du bon Dieu, devenait qui m’a vue petite fille, qui ma fait grandir tout ce que nous lui devons en même temps la chose de l’Etat. Recon- et m’amène enfin au terme de mes études, Ces quatre années ui je suis heureuse et fière de viennent de s’écouler ont pouvoir vous redire à tous qui pu parfois nous paraître bien l’aimez: “Aimons la bien, tra- longues...il faut l’avouer, vaillons pour elle, rendons la nous n’avons pas toujours plus florissante encore; qu’un aimé les heures de silence et nombre toujours croissant de d’études les leçons et les de- jeunes gens et de jeunes filles voirs difficiles mais toutcela viennent y trouer comme nous n’était - il pas pour notre plus un second foyer où leur seront grand bien? Aujourd’hui, prodigués, avec une affection plus que jamais nous voyons toute maternelle, les prcieuse tout ce que fut pour nous ensignements qui forment à la notre École, c’est pour quoi fois c’eesprit et le coeur. nous voulons lui donner un Mais pour nous surtout témoignage public de notre reconnaissance nue, encouragée par lui dans la personne de qui allons la quitter qu’est elle notre chère en disant bien haut que nous l’aimons et representants devoués a sa cause, elle ne fit École, le berceau de nos espèrances, le nid combien ell mérite d’être aimée! depuis lors que grander. Qu’il nou soit donc d’où nous allons prendre notre essor vers le Aimons notre École! Quoi de plus permis de témoigner ici notre gratitude à ses monde inconnu! Qui pourrrait dire quelle naturel? N’est-elle point pour nous chose envoyés venus ce soir pour nous donner, place elle tient dans notre coeur! Nous, sacrée, voulue de Dieu ses enfants, comment qui, jelant les yeux ne l’aimerions nous sure notre cher pays pas comment ne cher- dit un jour: “La mois- cherions nous pas à la son est belle, mais il faire aimer partout et y a peu d’ouvrier” . toujours. C’est alors que pour Nous te quittons, seconder ceux qui déjà École bien aimée, tu travaillaient dans son nous as preparés pour champ, il suscita des la vie, tu nous a tout âmes génereuses et donné. toute dévouées à l’éd- En retour, que ucation. Vite, Elles se ferons nous pour te mirent à l’oeuvre et payer notre dette de vivent avec bonheur reconnaissance? No- se grouper près d’elles blesse oblige: nous petits et grands. Ne saurons nous montrer voulaient elles pas at- dignes de toi! teindre tous les âges? Lourde était la tache, et quel dévoue- ment n’escigea point. semblable entreprise! C’est pour nous grande 9 Le Forum Lettres/ would be heaven. We did have a few home- Riddle me this less, but back then they were called hobos. Le Grand Derangement described in By Grégoire Chabot Letters Most all the dads worked in the granite industry. They were not educated, but they He’d been staring at the screen for were not dumb. They were very resourceful Madawaska Centennial Journal at least five minutes. He had finished up in and with hard work they were able to support the kitchen, come into the living room, and I have been a loyal subscriber to the large loving families. What held our family sat down in his chair. He had considered “Forum” for many years. I love reading and together was love!!! My parents worked as picking up the newspaper and reading it to relating to the same cultural experiences as a team. Both had tremendous energy and re- show – no, prove – that he was busy, that my compatriots. I have the feeling that most spect for each other. Of course, when things he had important things to do. But he had of us writing are children of “Canayens”, were difficult they would defer to their fa- read it all just before breakfast. She had seen rather than French-Canadians way back vorite saint and the saints of “les Canayens”, him do it and would definitely make some then. In fact who likes to be hyphenated? I “le bon Saint Joseph”. Saint Joseph was our snide remark or ask him why the hell he was am in my late seventies and I feel that many “Lady of Guadalupe”. reading it again. of the writers’ experiences are due to the In school we never felt any dis- So he sat there watching « Judy and fact that we are “the sandwich generation.” crimination. Our nuns, “les Soeurs du St. Joe » or « Patti and Pete » or « Philomène Our children and grandchildren are rarely Esprit”, had been expelled from France, so and Pamphile » … a.m. shows were pretty interested our history. They are now full we learned our catechism and our prayers much identical so he struggled to tell one fledged and loyal Americans. in French. If an Anglo gave us some lip, we from another and had no idea which one As you all know, about one million would tell them, he happened to be watching. But he pre- “Canayens” migrated to the U, S. from the “ Mange la marde (sic)!” or say, tended that “Patti and Pete” (maybe it was 1840’s to the 1950’s. At first they came to “If you’re so smart, why don’t you speak actually « Philomène and Pamphile ») was serve as paid soldiers replacing the sons French?” As students we were kind of mean the world’s most interesting program. If she of wealthy families. In fact one of our teaching our new classmates all the nasty believed the make-believe attention he was presidents, Grover Cleveland hired such vocabulary we knew. paying to the perky TV couple, he could a mercenary. Others came to manufacture Of course we always had that di- perhaps evade, escape … never have to ask arms in the factories of Massachusetts and lemma, should it be “un chassis” or “une that question he detested. Connecticut during the Civil War.. Later, the fenêtre”; “une voiture” or “un char”. It wasn’t really the question itself he immigrants came to work in the textile mills That problem had to be solved when abhorred, but the whole bundle of drawn and the lumber industry. In my case, the I majored in French and I was told I had out predictableness that followed. It was immigrants came from the Sherbrooke area to speak “International French” in order to a simple question. Nothing complex or to work in the granite and marble quarries of teach. Consequently, I spent many hours in convoluted. Seven small words: « How’s Vermont. In the 1950’s I remember workers a language lab. Two of my professors from that stomach pain? Gone away yet? » But still coming down with their families to work France loved to hear me speak “Joual” and he had been asking that same question over in the Barre granite industry. they would kind of snicker. I was too naïve and over again for the past four days. Ever In the 1970’s immigration stopped at the time to know what was happening. since she had made the world and him aware and some of the families started returning However, I do have to say that my bilingual of her pain first thing Monday morning, he to Quebec. The main reason was health upbringing really helped me in my career as had repeated the question at least five or six insurance. Once they could get better health a French teacher and Peace Corps Volunteer times a day. The first time, he really was care in Canada that was a great incentive in Tunisia. Now, when I go to Quebec, they concerned and wanted to know if his dearest for returning. Also, automation reduced job tell me, “Ah, tu parles le français de l’école.” spouse was feeling better. He was nothing, opportunities. Television changed family Today, especially in California, Span- if not a doting husband. dynamics with few people joining clubs or ish has become very important. After all, But each time after that – after spend- being so active in parish life. These activ- Spanish was the “lengua franca” until the ing hours and hours and hours (and hours) ities used to keep communities together. Yankees came along in the 1840`s. All listening to and participating in discussions Today, our children have integrated into our five of my children have studied French, about what could possibly have caused the so called melting pot. For “Canayens” this and one speaks fluently. However, in their stomach ache and the stories about all the was not too complicated because we had the work, Spanish would almost be needed to other members of her family who were same color skin in spite of our non-English get ahead. One of my daughters graduated cursed with the same malady and what did he sounding names. Some changed that by from the Sonoma Police Academy, but only think she should do to just make it go away Americanizing their names, e.g. Poisson/ the bilingual graduates were hired that year. and maybe she should call he niece who was Fisher; Boisvert/Greenwood; Boisvin/ The only French word we hear these days a nurse in a well-respected Boston Hospital Drinkwine, etc. are “Pépère” and “Mémère” and even those because she would certainly know what In the quarrying town of Graniteville, are not always pronounced well. On of my needed to be done, he was fed up. Couldn’t Vermont where I grew up there were no class grandsons calls me “Pepper”. “C’est dom- take it any more. Had it up to here with the wars. We were all poor but we did not go to mage, c’est comme ça!!!” ache and its causes and possible cures and bed hungry. By poor I meant we all had dads even the dear niece in Boston. who were happy to make $2.00 an hour in Xavier de la Prade (Continued on page 15) the 1950’s. We thought making $100 a week Petaluma, CA 10 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 “…the famous order for all men, from the oldest to boys about ten years old were Le Grand Derangement described in summoned on Friday, September 5, 1755 (263 years ago), to meet at the St. Charles Madawaska Centennial Journal Church in Grand Pre, Nova Scotia. Addi- October 5, 2018, Franco-American News and CultureEvangeline, Grand Pre Nova tionally, the ‘special message from the king’ Scotia, John Mack Faragher was read in other nearby parishes. Some By Juliana L’Heureux families fled to the woods with whatever belongings they could Separation of families was the cruel carry. Unfortunate- strategy enforced during “Le Grand De- ly, 418 Acadian men rangement”. It was the terrible period in and boys were locked 1755, in Nova Scotia, when the cruel British inside the Grand-Pre upheaval separated families and dispersed church and heard them in ships to many foreign ports. Some with disbelief what refugees were able to reassemble or escape Lieutenant Colonel the deportation. A group of the refugees John Winslow read to found their way to the territory of Madawas- them, while someone ka, in Northern Maine and South Eastern translated. They and Canada. This history was chronicled in an their families were to article I found published in the Madawaska be deported. Centennial, a 1969 publication. Le Grand Derangement in 1755 in Grand Pre Nova Scotia (Acadia)- separation of families by the British during the deportations.

No specific author’s by line is attached to the historical account of the tragic circumstances published in the 1969 Centennial report. Yet, the description about the deportations is compelling because the story is personal to so many Madawaska citizens, who are descendants of the deported Acadians. In the opening paragraph, the author wrote, “The past of the Acadian people who came (to Madawaska) from Nova Scotia is a long story of persecution by the English, A historical account about the Great (it was) a century of uncertainty, (a period) Displacement known by Acadians and their of continuous struggle with unequal arms. descendants as Le Grand Derangement. It is no wonder that one man who could not endure it any more asked, ‘Does God not Historic synopsis: The Expulsion make any more lands for the Acadians’?” of the Acadians, also known as the Great Acadian Cross at Upheaval, the Great Expulsion, the Great Grand Pre Nova Scotia- Deportation and Le Grand Dérangement, L’Heureux photograph was the forced removal by the British of the Acadian people from the present day Cana- Separation of families dian Maritimes, parts of an area also known was common during this as Acadia. The Expulsion (1755–1764) was tragic process. part of the British military campaign against An article in the His- New France. The British first deported tory News Network by John Acadians to the Thirteen American Colo- Mack Faragher, described nies and, after 1758, transported additional the situation: “The cam- Acadians to Britain and France. In all, of paign against the Acadians, the 14,100 Acadians in the region, approx- which lasted until…1763, imately 11,500 Acadians were deported (a claimed thousands of lives. census of 1764 indicates that 2,600 Acadians Acadian property was remained in the colony, presumably having Acadians waiting for ships to deport them from Horton’s eluded capture). Landing/Grand Pré, Acadia/Nova Scotia (Continued on page 12) 11 Le Forum Her sacrifice has stayed with the family even Gold Star Mother Emma Martin 58 years after Ms. Morin’s own death, at 95 years old, when she died at home on March Morin of Biddeford 20, 1960, in Biddeford. She was the oldest September 28, 2018, Franco-American News and CultureAisne-Marne Ameri- World War I Gold Star mother of Biddeford’s can Cemetery, Chateau-Thierry, McArthur Library, Tighe-Beaudoin_Farley American Tighe-Beaudoin-Farley American Legion Post Legion, World War I 26, auxiliary, in York County. By Juliana L'Heureux It is appropriate to research Emma’s history and to include her historic documentation American Gold Star families are immediate relatives of members of the U.S. in our family’s narrative. Mrs. Morin was my Armed Forces who have been killed in combat or in support of certain military husband’s maternal grandmother. activities.

Tribute to Gold Star Families in the Lewiston Maine Veterans Park. Mrs. Emma Martin Morin of Biddeford was a World War I Gold Star Mother (1865-1960), Her Newspaper clippings from the Biddeford Maine son Napoleon Morin was killed at Chateau-Thierry, in France. Photograph of the daily newspaper described Mrs. Emma Martin Memorial by Gail Schnepf Dubay Morin, the oldest World War I Gold Star Mother (1865-1960) L’Heureux photograph Emma Martin Morin was a Gold Star mother as the result of her son Napo- leon’s death at the 1918, Battle of Chateau Thierry, during World War I, in France. (Continued on page 13)

(Le Grand Derangement described in carefully conceived plan that had been years the publication his internationally acclaimed Madawaska Centennial Journal continued in the making, and included the seizure and and best selling epic poem titled “Evange- from page 11) destruction of Acadian records and registers, line“, also made into a silent film starring plundered, their communities torched, their the arrest and isolation of community lead- Dolores del Rio. lands seized. After the war, many of the ers, and the separation of men from women Le Grand Derangement and its impact surviving Acadians returned to the Mari- and children.” on families continues to be discussed even times, but not to their old farms on the Bay In the centennial report, the names 263 years after the events occurred. These of Fundy, which, in the meantime, had been of Acadian refugee families who arrived human tragedies are deeply personal and granted to English-speaking, Protestant set- in Madawaska in June of 1785 were Dup- impact families for many generations. They tlers. Most of the surviving Acadians created erre, Potier, Daigle, Fournier, Cyr, Ayotte, are traumatic generational memories and new communities in what would become Thibodeau, Sanfacon and Mercure. Some rarely forgotten. the province of New Brunswick, Canada, dispersed into Quebec but the Cyr family while several hundred others migrated to stayed the most localized in Madawaska. About Juliana L’Heureux French Louisiana and became the ancestors Others arrived later and their names were Juliana L’Heureux is a free lance writ- of today’s Cajuns.” Faragher wrote about Cormier, Violette, Amirault, Martin, Maze- er who publishes news, blogs and articles “When French Settlers Were the Victims rolle, Leblanc, Gaudin, Hebert, Theriault, about Franco-Americans and the French of Ethnic Cleansing in North America” in Comeau, LeBlanc, Legere and Gaudet. culture. She has written about the culture in his book published in 2005, “A Great and My husband’s paternal great-grand- weekly and bi-weekly articles, for the past Noble Scheme” mother was a Sanfacon and his grandmother 27 years. Faragher claims that the deportation of was a Savoir (a branch of the Thibodeau the Acadians was planned well in advance of family). http://francoamerican.ban- the king’s order. ” …carried out by officers Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immor- gordailynews.com/author/jlheu- of the government in accordance with a talized the Acadian deportation in 1847, with reux/ 12 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (Gold Star Mother Emma Martin Morin of brated with open house on Sunday, from 2-5 One of her deceased sons was Na- Biddeford continued from page 12) PM in the residence where she has made her polean Morin, a World War I soldier, who home for over 60 years. A communicant of was killed at Chateau Thierry. At 95 years In 2018, the world remembers the St. Andre church, she is the oldest Gold Star old, Mrs. Morin was reported to have been in Centennial of the signing of the Armistice, Mother of the Tighe-Beaudoin-Farley Amer- good health and she was fond of playing card ending World War I, on November 11, 1918, ican Legion auxiliary. The arrangements for games. She had a “remarkable memory”, in France. Tragically, Corporal Napoleon the celebration were in the charge of Wilfred reported in the newspaper by her family She Morin was killed in August, 1918, at Cha- A. Cote, her son-in-law, and Mr. and Mrs. enjoyed telling stories as a “raconteur”, who teau Thierry. He was 19 years old when he Harold J. Duranceau, and family, who also skillfully related the family’s Franco-Amer- was killed. resided in the family home.” In fact, Mrs. icans customs. When Mrs. Morin turned 95 years old, Morin moved into the Pike Street home in Nevertheless, she understandably in 1959, her birthday was reported on the 1899, when her family arrived in Biddeford, mourned the deaths of all of her family mem- front page of the December, Vol. 75, N. 281, from Roxton Falls, in Quebec. bers and grieved for her son Napoleon, who local section of the daily Biddeford-Saco In the report, verified by my husband was only 19 years old at the time of his death. Journal, with a story continuing on page 6, Richard L’Heureux who is her grandson, A few months after her 95th birthday, inside the newspaper. Mrs. Morin raised 11 children and at the Mrs. Martin died on March 20, 1960, at her Many thanks to McArthur Library time of her 95th birthday, she counted 49 Biddeford home. reference librarian Brooke Faulkner and the grandchildren, 102 great-grandchildren During this Centennial commemora- excellent archives maintained on microfilm and 10 great-great grandchildren. Five of tive year, when the world remembers the by the library, for finding the birthday article her children were living at the time of her end of World War I in 1918, we also want and the obituary for Gold Star mother Mrs. 95th birthday and six were sadly deceased. to acknowledge the thousands of Gold Star Emma Martin Morin, 1865-1960. (My husband told me that Mrs. Martin, his families who continue to grieve the loss A tribute to Mrs. Martin is described in Memere, once said to him that she wondered of their loved ones, even when the deaths the caption beneath her birthday photograph: if Jesus had forgotten to take her, instead. occurred a century, or more, ago. Napoleon “The 95th birthday of Mrs. Emma Martin Of course, all of their conversations were Morin’s remains are interred at the Aisne- Morin, Pike Street, Biddeford, will be cele- in French.) Marne American Cemetery, in France.

The Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial is located 2.5 kilometers east of Fère-en-Tardenois, along Highway D-2 near the hamlet of Seringes-et-Nesles. It is approximately 113 kilometers northeast of Paris.

Interred here on this 36.5 acre site are the remains of 6,012 American war dead, most of whom died in 1918 during the WWI. Their headstones are aligned in long rows and are divided into four sections by wide paths with a circular plaza at the center. There is a memorial for the missing at the far end. On its walls are engraved 241 names. The cemetery is open daily to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except December 25 and January 1. A staff member is on duty in the Visitor Building to answer questions and escort relatives to grave and memorial sites. 13 Le Forum From the start, these women had their work cut out for them. For one, the order A Rough First Week of School for struggled to recruit Sisters who could speak English well enough to teach it in the parish Lewiston’s Dominican Sisters schools. In addition to the French nuns, the group included Spanish, Swiss, German, En- September 28, 2018Children, Education, Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, Religion glish, and Irish women. They also recruited By James Myall one bilingual sister who had been born in New Orleans, and arranged the “loan” of In 1903, Father Alexandre-Lousi Sion were not supposed to teach boys to four Dominicans from the congregation of Mothon, the curé of the Dominican monas- according to the rules of their order, and St Mary of the Springs in Ohio. tery in Lewiston, wrote to the community they, too, gave up the task of teaching in Then there was the fact that the French of Dominican Sisters of Nancy, in France, Lewiston’s parochial schools, in 1903. Thus sisters had never taught before. Nine of asking them to send a some of their mem- Father Mothon turned to the Dominican the sisters came to the United States as bers to Maine to teach the Franco-American Sisters of France for help. an advance group in June, staying in Fall children of Lewiston. His request was well-timed. A new River, Massachusetts, where the Dominican government in France had recently taken Fathers oversaw another French Canadian steps to secularize the French education parish, and operated three parochial schools. system, and reduce the status of religious In Fall River the Sisters shadowed the nuns orders in France. The opportunity to teach who were teaching there, and learned the in Lewiston came just as the sisters found basics of the American education system. themselves marginalized by the French state. The rest of the Sisters crossed the Nonetheless the French nuns were reluctant Atlantic in July and August, and the entire to take up Father Mothon’s offer. Establish- group made their way to Lewiston by August ing a new chapter across the Atlantic would 24. The Sisters moved into the convent re- be a big undertaking, and the Sisters had no cently vacated by the Dames de Sion, and the experience as teachers. On the other hand, new arrivals had to contend with workmen their situation in France was precarious, and and decorators fixing up the place as they the US st least offered a guarantee of reli- tried to settle in. They also shared the resi- gious freedom they couldn’t find in Europe. dence with an infestation of fleas. The nuns After repeated requests from Mothon took this mostly in stride, noting that these and others, the Sisters sent a small delegation were the “true signs of poverty” and that St to Lewiston to learn more. Despite some Theresa of Ávila had also famously been misgivings, they accepted the assignment, “tormented” by fleas as she reformed the and in the summer of 1904, twenty-eight Sis- Carmelite Order of nuns in the 16th century. ters came to Lewiston to begin work. Their Nonetheless even nuns bound to a experiences were recorded in the official life of poverty found some of the sleeping Dominican Block, Lewiston, 1883. The history of the new convent, a translation of quarters, or cells, to be “inadequately small.” children assembled outside are students which is located at the University of South- The convent had no kitchen garden, just two at the school located in the Block. Their ern Maine’s Franco-American Collection. (Continued on page 15) teachers, the Sisters of Charity, can be seen standing at the windows. Their vows forbade them from being photographed. Image: USM Franco-American Collection/Maine Memory Network

Initially, the children of the city’s French Canadian immigrants were educated by lay members of the community. The city itself briefly established a public school headed by a graduate of the state run Madawaska Training School, which trained French speakers to teach Francophone kids. However, in 1878, Rev Hervé had invited the Sisters of Charity of St Hyacinthe, QC, to teach the community’s youth. But the Sisters of Charity were not a teaching order. They were replaced in 1891 by the Dames de Sion. But the Dames de The First Dominican Sisters in Lewiston, 1905. Image: USM Franco-American Collection. 14 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (A Rough First Week of School for Lewiston’s a wooden mock castle, a stone tower (which survives today), a zoo Dominican Sisters continued from page 14) and access to the beach. The boys went swimming while the girls (who were not allowed to swim) played games with the sisters. The shady strips of land where, “weeds grew abundantly.” children had a picnic lunch of fruit, cake and ice cream, toured the The schools, too, were in a poor state. The nuns spent some zoo, and listened to concert by the parish children’s band, before of their time “mending and covering books” in preparation for the heading home. “An ideal day,” the Sisters concluded. start of the new term.

Casco Castle, Freeport, 1906. Image: Freeport Historical Society/Maine Memory Network. The “Little Canada School” on Lincoln Street in Lewiston. This Soon enough though, it was back to the task at hand, and may well be the public school operated by the City of Lewiston the Sisters were thrust headfirst into their first days of teaching. for French-Speaking children in the 1880s. Image: USM Franco- The hope that the disobedience of the children was just due to American Collection / Maine Memory Network summertime high spirits was was soon dispelled. The older boys “didn’t listen to anything…made noise, stood on tables, defying The outlook was not much improved once the Sisters met the teacher. One of them said “you won’t hit me?” The Sisters tried their prospective charges. The nuns were introduced to the Lewiston to take names and addresses of the troublemakers but many simply children in a special church service in late August. The youngsters refused to give them. Everyone was dismissed after first period. were “badly behaved and idle,” “yawning, stretching, pushing and The second day of school was not much better. Father Knapp, laughing,” throughout. Perhaps it was just high spirits during school the director of schools for the parish, gave the students a test to vacation? It was, in any case “not too reassuring.” group them into classes. The answers displayed a great lack of One last task before the start of the school year provided knowledge. The sisters recorded a selection of answers from the some relief for the harried Sisters. The Dominican Fathers’ annual first three grades: summer picnic had been delayed so that the Sisters could join the excursion. The clergy and women religious of the parish took nearly Where is Canada? 200 children on a day trip to Casco Castle, the newly-opened “trolley — A country in France park” in Freeport. The journey by electric trolley took 2 and a half What is France? hours but was apparently worth it. The amusement park included — The capital of Canada (Continued on page 16) (Riddle me this continued from page 15) would gradually become more frequent and wives. He would have gone off fishing with But there was no possible way he insistent until … a 12 gauge and hunting with a handful of could not ask the damned question. He knew It was at times like these that he ar- sinkers and would have wondered why he he should have asked it right when he walked dently wished he had somehow become a was having so much trouble changing the into the living room … right when he sat handyman. A handyman can always extract spark plugs on his car with that nice new down in his chair at the very latest. It was himself from any situation by saying some- pop-up toaster he had bought just for that expected. The ritual had – in four short - or thing like « Well, that project won’t finish purpose. long – days become well-established and itself » or « Gotta get them 2 by 4s planed The TV talk between Suzy and Sam needed to be performed. The same applied to before they get stupterfasted all to hell.” He (« Andromaque and Adelard? ») had grad- all the other parts of their lives. If it wasn’t, can then disappear for hours or days in his ually become unintelligible. The images on she would soon grow impatient. Even as he workshop without a care in the world. But he the screen blurred into bluish blobs. He felt watched « Betty and Ben » (« Ègline and could never saw anything in a straight line or the sweat run down his brow. He stomach Elphège? »), he sensed that she was already nail two boards together. He could measure churned and burned. And he heard a voice starting to fidget in her chair and rub her fifty times and still have to cut fifty times that seemed as alien as it was familiar stomach. It wouldn’t be long before she Same thing applied to cars and hunting ask: « How’s that stomach pain? Gone would let out low moans of pain - alternating and fishing and all of those other wonderful away yet? » muffled « oof »s and « oioioioi »s. If he hobbies that are such life-savers when men didn’t ask the damned question, the moans can’t stomach the thought of talking to their (See page 43 for French Version) 15 Le Forum (A Rough First Week of School for Lewiston’s Gradually, the sisters restored discipline, with the assistance Dominican Sisters continued from page 15) of Father Knapp, and his successor Father Laferrière (who had a Who discovered America? telephone installed at the school so they could call on him for help — Joan of Arc when needed). They implemented a new curriculum, and made tweaks like a merit system for good behavior. Who was Christopher Columbus? — The Governor of Maine The progress was such that by Christmas 1905, the Sisters notes that the children in the upper grades could finally write their Who were Adam and Eve? regular letters to their parents without having to copy the text from — We haven’t reached that part yet. the blackboard. Behavior was much better, too. When the Prioress of the convent visited the school at the Dominican Block at the Father Knapp recommended frequent use of the “strap” to holidays, the children presented her with a “gold book” of their keep students in line. The French sisters were taken aback. Corporal accomplishments. It listed prayers, rosaries and masses said; as punishment was common in American schools at the time, but un- well as homework well done and good marks received. One page known in France. In general, the experience of teaching was much listed “acts of virtue” the children were proud of: harder than the sisters had anticipated, and not helped by the large class sizes – 80 children in each class. Still, when Father Mothon I didn’t chew gum (11) found Sister Marie Barthélemie crying in the middle of her class- I was hit, and didn’t hit back (12) room surrounded by unruly students, he remarked that he “thought I didn’t lie, all day (1) they would have had more trouble than this.” I didn’t stop in the street (32) I didn’t turn my back in class (135)

A far cry from the raucous scenes of a year before. The Dominican Sisters would continue to run Lewiston’s parish schools for many decades, and as recently as this year, there was still a teaching sister in the school system. The remaining sisters of the order still live at their convent in Sabattus. From rough beginnings, the Sisters came to thrive in Lewiston, leaving My wife said to me today, “you’re making a mistake old man, their mark on thousands of local Franco-Americans over the years. To join the Yankee army in the ranks of Uncle Sam; The world is full of commotion since the explosion of the Maine, (With thanks to members of the “French Canadian Descen- And the devil’s to pay in Cuba and the paymaster is Spain.” dants” Facebook group, for helping me decipher the reference to the “tormentors of St Theresa’s children”!) I say, “All right old woman, let the summons come today, And you’ll find old Joseph ready to bear arms and march away; I’m as good to carry a knapsack and to shoulder my gun, http://myall.bangordailynews.com/ As I was in the Riel Rebellion in old Saskatchewan!” Children at the “Academie St Dominique,” Bates Street, Lewiston, 1908. Image: USM Franco-American Collection. “The land of my adoption is as good a home for me, As across the line in Canada, my native country. the border. In June, shortly after an attack on a Texas community, My home, my work, ma friends are here, in fact, the whole damn set; A Franco-American Wilson ordered the call up of the National Guard of every state So what can I do but join the “Blue” in the Garde Lafayette! and the District of Columbia. Among the 110,000 guardsmen who entered federal service were the Franco-Americans of the Garde “I don’t care for nobody but stand up for what’s right. Company in the Mexican Lafayette of Manchester New Hampshire. If Uncle Sam sends word and thinks he’s got to fight, The Garde Lafayette had been founded in 1887. It was one of Good-bye my work on Amoskeag – I’ll leave it quick you bet – Border War many Franco American militia organizations across New England. And join the boys with utmost joy in the Garde Lafayette! At their height, there were dozens of Gardes across the region. They July 13, 2018Home, New Hampshire, World War One organized themselves into an informal “brigade” and held regular “So don’t make a fuss about this cuss and don’t take it hard, By James Myall conventions where they competed to hold drills. If I, old Joe, go soon to show my color in the Guard; The Garde Lafayette was different to its peers in one import- You say I’ve got some babies? I must stay right by them? Not yet! On 9 March 1916, Mexican soldiers under the command of ant regard. It was organized as part of New Hampshire’s national I will march beneath “Old Glory” in the Garde Lafayette! General Pancho Villa attacked the city of Columbus, New Mex- guard. As Company A of New Hampshire’s 1st regiment, the Garde ico. It was just one of many such border skirmishes which had Lafayette was the only one of the many New England gardes with “O! Didn’t it make a sensation on the streets of Manchester, been ongoing since the outbreak of civil war in Mexico in 1910. an official status. When the order came from Uncle Sam to march us down to war! However, the attack on Columbus also represented an escalation Nobody will know that this is Joe from dear old Nicolet, of hostilities and a breaking point for US authorities. Within days, When president Wilson called for the mobilization of the When off I march as stiff as starch, in the Garde Lafayette! President Woodrow Wilson ordered American army to pursue Vil- national guard in 1916, the NH 1st was one of the regiments called la’s men into Mexico. It soon became apparent that Villa and his into federal service, including the Garde Lafayette. “Then Rosie dear don’t drop that tear, but cheer up like my joy supporters would not easily be caught, and the regular army needed You know that Maine went down in flames with all its soldier boys! reinforcements to secure their supply lines and to continue to guard (Continued on page 17) 16 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (A Franco-American Company in the Mexican Border War So if the blame is placed on Spain, and Uncle Sam says “get!” continued from page 16) Just wish us well and shout like h— for the Garde Lafayette!”

While some members of the Garde had served in the Spanish After the delays associated with getting the guardsmen up to American War, this was the first time the unit as a whole had partici- strength and fully equipped, the New Hampshire men left for the pated in a conflict. They did not disappoint. At least according to the border July 15. They arrived in Laredo, Texas, July 20, where they official history of the Garde, they outperformed their peers in many joined what would become a force of 110,000 supporting the regu- regards. The mobilization of 1916 was the first time state national lar army’s excursion into Mexico. guard units had been federalized under the new National Defense Act, and most states were under-prepared. As in other states, the New Hampshire National Guard did not require guardsmen to undergo a medical exam until they were called to federal service. As a result, the nominal strength of most regiments was greatly reduced once examinations were conducted, and those who failed were dismissed. In some states, as many as 1 in 4 were found unsuitable for service. The Garde Lafayette got up to strength quicker than most, thanks to the efforts of two of its members – a travelling salesman by the name of Ferdinand Francoeur, and Sergeant Jean-Baptiste Morissette. The Garde’s success in recruiting may have been due to its strong sense of identity. Members had to be Catholics French-Cana- dians or Franco-Americans, and the soldiers “took pride in speaking French among themselves.” A poem from 1898 captures some of the enthusiasm Franco Americans had to serve their adopted homeland. It was published in the Manchester Union in English. (The original was written in an approximation of a Franco-American accent, but the below has been corrected for clarity):

My wife said to me today, “you’re making a mistake old man, “Dinner al Fresco” – the Garde Lafeyette in Laredo, 1916. To join the Yankee army in the ranks of Uncle Sam; Image: Histoire de la Garde Lafayette (1927) The world is full of commotion since the explosion of the Maine, And the devil’s to pay in Cuba and the paymaster is Spain.” The Garde’s time in service appears to have been primarily characterized by boredom. The Americans could see Mexican sen- I say, “All right old woman, let the summons come today, tries across the river in the “ruins” of Nuevo Laredo, but despite And you’ll find old Joseph ready to bear arms and march away; this, the New Hampshire contingent was never involved in any live- I’m as good to carry a knapsack and to shoulder my gun, fire engagements, and their primary role was guarding the frontier As I was in the Riel Rebellion in old Saskatchewan!” against possible attacks. Like the other guardsmen, most of their time was occupied with drills and training. Here again (at least by “The land of my adoption is as good a home for me, their own account), the men of the Garde Lafayette excelled. On As across the line in Canada, my native country. one occasion, the Garde and a number of other companies were sent My home, my work, ma friends are here, in fact, the whole damn set; on a forty mile foot march. The heat of the Texas desert no doubt So what can I do but join the “Blue” in the Garde Lafayette! made this quite an ordeal for the amateur soldiers.

“I don’t care for nobody but stand up for what’s right. The thermometer rose to 118 degrees in the shade!..They had If Uncle Sam sends word and thinks he’s got to fight, come from a [civilized] state to a rugged landscape. Before them lay Good-bye my work on Amoskeag – I’ll leave it quick you bet – the immense alkalic Texan plain, with its seemingly endless horizons. And join the boys with utmost joy in the Garde Lafayette! Back home, even if there were burning hot days, these were quickly tempered by refreshing breezes from the mountains. “So don’t make a fuss about this cuss and don’t take it hard, If I, old Joe, go soon to show my color in the Guard; The planned action was to march one direction in the first day, You say I’ve got some babies? I must stay right by them? Not yet! to rest overnight, and to return the next day. But members of the I will march beneath “Old Glory” in the Garde Lafayette! Garde Lafayette, scorched by the extreme heat of the day, determined that they would turn right around and complete the march overnight, “O! Didn’t it make a sensation on the streets of Manchester, giving up their rest period for the opportunity to march in the cool When the order came from Uncle Sam to march us down to war! night air instead. Their escapade so surprised the authorities that the Nobody will know that this is Joe from dear old Nicolet, company had to repeat their identification to the day officer on duty When off I march as stiff as starch, in the Garde Lafayette! several times before he understood.

“Then Rosie dear don’t drop that tear, but cheer up like my joy You know that Maine went down in flames with all its soldier boys! (Continued on page 18)

17 Le Forum (A Franco-American Company in the Mexican Border War welcome. Laden with souvenirs including shawls worn by the local continued from page 17) Latino population and even chihuahuas. The “little Mexican dogs with short fluffy hair” must have been quite a sight on the streets of Manchester in the years afterwards. Their owners even knitted them small pullovers to keep the warm weather canines comfortable in the New England winters. At the banquet held in honor of the returning Garde, the local Franco American community showed its gratitude to the men who had represented them oh the national stage and proved the courage and aptitude of Franco Americans to the country at large. Bishop Georges-Albert Guerin, the Franco American Bishop of Manches- ter, presided at the banquet, and noted that the men were not just representing their community and their country, but also their faith. Young men of the Garde Lafayette, the Church is proud of your conduct. Continue your march along this same path, and always remember that you are good Catholics and excellent soldiers. The Mexican border war was the first time a New England “Breakfast Before Setting Out” – the Garde Lafeyette Franco-American unit served in the US army, and it would be the in Laredo, 1916. last. Within weeks of the return of the Garde Lafayette from the Image: Histoire de la Garde Lafayette (1927) frontier, the United States declared war on Germany, entering the First World War. The parent organization of the Garde Lafayette and On another occasion, the Garde impressed a visiting officer the other New England gardes, the Brigade des Volontaires Fran- with their proficiency at military drills. According to the account co-Americains, offered its services to President Wilson, but the unit in the Garde’s official history, the Franco-Americans happened to was not accepted into federal service. Instead, Individuals enlisted be on the parade ground when General Funston, the commander in the regular army, and the gardes lost a lot of their cohesion. On in charge of the border forces, was on-site. He remarked that their return form the war, organizations like the Veterans of Foreign the guardsmen were as competent as any regular soldiers he had Wars and the American Legion largely replaced the ethnocentric seen. “But,” he remarked to the regiment’s Colonel Healy, these gardes, and many such organizations ceased to exist by the 1920s. maneuvers in closed ranks are good for a parade, but aren’t worth anything at this moment, if you have to fight Mexican guerrillas! Sources: Most of the information presented here comes from Are you able to execute these same manoeuvres with your men in the Histoire de la Garde Lafayette by Laurent Galarneau (L’Avenir skirmish formation?” National, Manchester, NH, 1927) The Garde responded by executing combat manoeuvers perfectly, winning a wager for Colonel Healy and impressing the general considerably. In between drills and matches, few men of the Garde amuses About James Myall: themselves with the novelties of their new surroundings, so different from the New Hampshire forests and mountains. The members of While I currently work for an the Garde were struck by everything – from rattlesnakes, and horned Augusta-based non-profit, I spent lizards to the many varieties of cactus. The New Englanders also four years as the Coordinator of the had the chance to mingle with the locals. At Christmas, the Franco Franco-American Collection at the Americans, doubtless lonely for home, found a small Catholic chapel University of Southern Maine. In 2015, to celebrate the holiday. The parish, comprised of Latino and Indian I co-authored "The Franco-Americans congregants, was described as of Lewiston-Auburn," a general history of that population from 1850 to the As bare as the stable in Bethlehem…there were no songs, present. I was also a consultant for the no music, very few decorations. This parish was so poor because State Legislative Task Force on Franco-Americans in 2012. I live its parishioners were brave people of Mexican origin, who, in Topsham with my wife and two young daughters. though good Catholics, were without earthly possessions. Our guys were a long way from the beautiful sung masses of their own [email protected] parishes on Christmas Day! The New Hampshire men found themselves on the border for nearly eight months before they were demobilized. By February 1917, General Pershing’s attempt to capture Pancho Villa had clearly failed, and the regular army units were returning to the border to relieve the national guardsmen, who were itching to return home. The Garde Lafayette arrived back in Manchester to a heroes’ 18 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 meats. A motto of the company was “Never History of Lewiston’s Bonneau a Bum Steer”. Markets on display October 12, 2018Franco-American News and CultureDoris Bonneau, Madeleine Giguere, University of Southern Maine By Juliana L'Heureux

French-Canadian immigrants arrived easy to explain after viewing the prices in in Lewiston and Androscoggin County com- the Bonneau Markets ads, printed in local munities during the late 19th and early 20th newspapers and preserved in the album. centuries, to provide labor for the growing industrial mills in the area. Along with their excellent work ethic and often tireless mill labor, they also brought entrepreneurs like Victor and Lucien Bonneau. When the brothers came After World War II, Lucien and Vic- to Lewiston as immigrants from Quebec, tor took their brothers Armand, Edgar and they eventually established the successful Euclide into the business as partners. As the grocery store named Bonneau Markets. business continued to expand, the brothers remained close to their customers. One of the news articles in Bonneau’s album collection includes a picture of a customer using a new invention, for its time (circa 1954), called an automatic door. “It’s like Bonneau Markets sales magic,” wrote the local newspaper. “No need (L’Heureux photograph) to even push open the door as you leave the new Bonneau master market!”. In fact, the In fact, the Bonneau’s built the fam- “magic door” was activated by a “door-o- ily’s entrepreneurial market when the two matic” technology. It swung wide open for brothers, Victor at age 24 and Lucien at the customers before they reached the exit. age 20, opened the 500 foot grocery store Other modern upgrades in place for the on Blake Street, in 1934, in Lewiston. 1954 opening included air conditioning, Even throughout the Great Depression, music and a courtesy telephone. The market Doris Bonneau is the President of the the business grew. A second out of town was complimented for cleanliness. Their Franco-American Collection at USM LAC. “master market”, opened in 1954 and in business practice included offering holiday She made the Bonneau Market album 1969 the business moved to an even larger special sales. In 1952, the business’s annual available for the public to view. (L’Heureux location. The market was one of the largest volume of sales was reported as $300,000. photograph) in the Lewiston area, but during the 1980’s, competition from larger chain stores caused A short history about several Fran- A large sized album was assembled it to close. co-American entrepreneurs is avail- by the Bonneau family for the purpose of A 1952 article published in The preserving the history of this market. Doris Maine State Grocers Bulletin described the able at this site in PDF format cour- Belisle Bonneau made the album temporari- Bonneau market located on Blake Street as tesy of USM LAC FAC. ly available for the public to view. Currently, having the reputation of being a family store. it is displayed at the Franco-American Col- At the time, they did a good deal of credit Merci to the Bonneau family for the lection, located in the University of Southern business, meaning, their customers could loan of their family’s history album, for Maine Lewiston Auburn College (USM purchase groceries and pay for them on the public to view. Check the website usm. LAC FAC), on Westminster Street. paydays, or once a week. (Like my mother maine.edu/franco for information about Madame Bonneau is the president in law, Rose, who lived in Sanford, would when the FAC is open. of the Franco-American Collection (FAC). have said, “Put the purchase on the slip” [email protected] She leads a community Board at the FAC and my father- in-law paid the bill in total archives, a special collection originally every Monday, on his day off.) Moreover, established within the USM LAC by the the Bonneau’s also did grocery deliveries. late University of Southern Maine Fran- “You can see how the Bonneau family caters co-American Sociologist, and Lewiston to their customers with service…,” reported native, Madeliene Giguere (1925-2004). the Bulletin. If anyone needs a quick lesson on the Bonneau’s Market was known and meaning of the word “inflation”, the term is respected for its butcher shop and fresh 19 Le Forum Celebrating a 150-Year Legacy in Greater Lowell

Suzanne Beebe (N.D.L.R. Text by Suzanne Beebe; St. Andrew Parish photos by St. Andrew’s parishioners; cemetery photos by Allen Beebe) Fr. Garin presides at the reception following This year’s Spring Issue of Le Forum bought, moved, expanded, and remodeled his Mass — flanked by flags of Canada, the featured an article and poem I had written or renovated by Fr. Garin and the people U.S., and Vatican City. about Fr. André Marie Garin, OMI, a man of the parishes. In the case of Immaculate who looms large in the history of Lowell, Conception, it was a magnificent neo-Gothic panied by French hymns and liturgical music MA and both its Franco-American and Irish edifice designed and built by top-flight -ar sung by a local Franco-American choir. Catholic communities. Arriving in Lowell in chitects and craftsmen under the guidance of The mass was followed by a downstairs 1868, he wasted no time in establishing — in Fr. Garin with financial contributions from reception featuring French-Canadian and the course of one year — three new parishes parishioners and influential Lowellians. And other French foods made by parishioners for Greater Lowell’s burgeoning immigrant for all three parishes, the place of worship of Franco-American background. It was a population: St. Joseph’s in downtown Low- was the hub of a spiritual, social, and civ- joyous occasion attended by Franco-Amer- ell for the French-Canadian families arriv- ic network that eased the transition from icans from Lowell as well as by members ing from Québec and Canada’s Maritime homeland to new land in comforting and of St. Andrew’s parish community. (See provinces to work in the mills; Immaculate strengthening ways. St. Joseph’s is no longer accompanying photos.) Conception for the mostly Irish families set- a parish but, as St. Joseph the Worker Shrine, And in June, to conclude Lowell’s tling on the eastern end of Merrimack St. as has continued to serve Lowell’s downtown annual Franco-American Festival week, a they moved beyond the borders of Lowell’s as a place of prayer, liturgy, and spiritual Vesper service dedicated to St. Jean Baptiste original Irish neighborhood, the Acre; and refreshment for all who live, work, or study was conducted in the chapel of Chelmsford’s St. Andrew’s in Billerica for the mostly Irish in the heart of the city. St. Joseph Cemetery, which was founded by families of mill workers clustering around So in this 150th year of his arrival and Fr. Garin and is still owned and operated by the mill complex there. founding of the parishes, all three spiritual the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Each parish would be staffed for de- communities have celebrated his legacy as After the service, attendees walked to the cades by members of Fr. Garin’s religious they celebrate their own past, present, and burial area reserved for members of the order, the Missionary Oblates of Mary future. In April of this year, St. Andrew’s of order, where they participated in prayer and Immaculate. The churches erected in these Billerica, as part of its yearlong 150th anni- reflection at his gravesite after a memorial parishes were the visible fruit of Fr. Garin’s versary observations, recognized Fr. Garin’s wreath was laid. (See accompanying pho- work with his eager and generous parishio- contributions with a Mass concelebrated in tos.) It was a fitting and moving tribute to ners. At St. Joseph’s and St. Andrew’s, they French by priests of his religious order and a remarkable man who truly spent his life were small, unused, non-Catholic buildings other priests of French background, accom- doing good.

Entrance procession for Mass honoring parish founder Père Celebrants bless a statue of Fr. Garin (to the right) before the André Marie Garin, OMI, celebrated on April 21, 2018 as preparation of gifts at St. Andrew Parish’s 150th Anniversary part of St. Andrew Parish’s 150th anniversary observances. Mass honoring Fr. Garin as its founder. (Continued on page 21) 20 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (Celebrating a 150-Year Legacy in Greater Lowell continued from page 20)

St. Andrew parishioners serve hungry Mass attendees at a buffet featuring French-Canadian and other French foods A Franco-American choir sings “J’Irai La Voir” at St. Andrew after the Mass honoring Fr. Garin. Parish, Billerica, during its Mass honoring Fr. Garin. The choir accompanist was Ms. Cecile Provencher of Lowell.

A table offering a variety of quiche and tourtière made by St. Andrew parishioners was highly popular with attendees. A St. Andrew parishioner serves poutine — a new treat for older Franco-Americans who hadn’t encountered it as yet.

A brief prayer service followed the laying of the wreath by Mr. Kevin Roy (in blue polo shirt), president of Lowell’s Franco- As the concluding event of this year’s Franco-American Festival in American Day Committee and driving force behind the 150th Lowell, a wreath was laid on Fr. Garin’s grave at the cemetery he Anniversary celebration at St. Andrew’s in Billerica, his home founded in Chelmsford for Greater Lowell’s Franco-Americans. parish. 21 Le Forum “ French-Canadians go to the States They Came to Our Valley not as individuals but as colonies, carrying with them like the pilgrims, their principles and their priests and keeping to themselves Franco-Americans and the Textile Industry as separate and distinct from their neighbors Of the Upper Connecticut River Valley, 1870 to 1900 as Jews or Chinese. . . They have planted colonies. . .distinct in language, customs and religion in the very heart of Prot- By Charles John Emond BA, MA, MAT estantism which in the next twenty years, Professor, Webster University Thailand if they obey their pastors, are destined to replace the exhausted and impoverished PROLOGUE Puritan race. . . .The balance of power in written about them. The larger mills and big a state which hitherto regarded itself as the They came from a land of harsh win- cities such as Manchester, New Hampshire keeper of our national conscience is in the ters and from a rural isolation that had served and Lowell, Massachusetts seem to have hands of the Philistines.” to intensify their fierce devotion to family, gotten much of the attention of historians faith and tradition. They came with a legacy and writers. I have also focused upon this Rev. Calvin Amaron: 189110 of oppression by colonial masters. They area because it is where my French ancestors came during a period of crisis in Quebec settled to live and work. It is the vast brick “If anyone ever represented the during which agricultural production and buildings that they built which framed my work ethic, its the French-Canadians. . land availability decreased and family size world as a child, and their parish, school and . They work until the day they die. The increased. After generations of struggling community in which I was raised. French-Canadians worked together, they to wrest a living from Canadian soil, the pulled together to uplift the family unit. . . French-Canadians came to New England. Charles John Emond They came here for a better living, and they These stubborn, hard-working people Cha Am, Thailand worked like hell for it.” started the move south during the l860’s and what began as a mere trickle, became a tidal r11 1 “I came here from Quebec in 1882, Julien Cloutie wave of people by 1900. During this period of time, fully one-third of the population of when I was twelve years old. There were 1. FROM RIVERS TO Quebec left to work in the textile mills of twenty- five of us in the family. We had to sell RAILROADS New England.2 This mass exodus, called ". our farm to get here. . . They used to go up . . one of the most significant, if unherald- and get them in those days. They didn’t have On its way south from the region of ed, events of 19th century New England,"3 people enough here to run the cotton mills the Canadian border, the Connecticut River provided a rapidly growing textile industry and the factories. They used to go up there first passes through a valley formed by with the industrious, docile and stable labor and offer people good jobs at good wages gentle hills rising up on either side before force it needed.4 It changed the face of New and their fare paid to any place they wanted flowing through Massachusetts and Con- England and it included my ancestors. to go. . . . I worked in Salem in a cotton mill necticut to the sea. This Upper Valley, where Franco-Americans have been called for a while. . . The boss used to use me once the Connecticut is joined by tributaries “the Chinese of the Eastern States,"5 “the in a while as an interpreter. . . . There were from both New Hampshire and Vermont, only real North American peasants,"6 and, about one thousand people working in that forms a cohesive geographical region.12 The in their high regard for tradition and disap- mill where I learned to weave, and they were communities located upon the banks of this proval of marriage to outsiders, compared to nearly all French.” river or upon the banks of its tributaries, the Jews.7 Their unique story is one which 8 share a common history and culture. deserves greater attention from historians David Morin The borders of the Upper Valley and students of United States history. are sometimes imprecise, but for the This paper examines the mass migra- “He is quick to learn, active and deft purposes of this outline they will follow tion of French-Canadians into the mill towns in his movements. . . .Docility is one of his the tradition of including all those towns of New England during the last quarter of the most marked traits. He is not over-energetic and villages along the Connecticut River l9th century: it begins by setting the scene or ambitious. His main concern is to make from Brattleboro near the Massachusetts in New England and the Upper Valley. It a living for himself and his family, and, if border to St. Johnsbury in northern Vermont. outlines the sources of power, the economic that seems to have been attained, he is little Also included are those towns and villages framework and the development of transpor- troubled by restless eagerness to be doing located upon the banks of the smaller rivers tation systems. It continues with a look at the something higher than that at which he is which flow into the Connecticut. This chap- establishment and expansion of the textile presently engaged. Above all, he is reluctant; ter on the growth of the textile industry of industry. It concludes with a brief analysis as compared to the Irish, to join labor unions the Upper Valley prior to 1900 shows how of the situation in Canada that encouraged and is loath to strike. closely linked this development was to the the habitants to leave their homeland to 9 immigration of Franco-Americans. work in the mills. I have focused upon the Contemporary report: 1898 To trace the development of this in- smaller mill towns of the Upper Connecti- cut River Valley because so little has been (Continued on page 23) 22 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (They Came to Our Valley continued from canals around the waterfalls. In 1802, a canal wards that the railroad, so necessary to the page 22) with eight locks was opened near Bellows economic development of this area, was dustry, it is necessary to examine those two Falls and in 1810 locks were opened near welcomed to the Upper Valley. critical aspects of the infrastructure without Hartland and Wilder.20 This made it possible which the building of textile mills cannot for the 60 foot Durham boats to be poled up “On Monday, January l, much to the even be considered: transportation and as far as the Lebanon area and floated back astonishment of some, and gratification of power. It is only when these two pieces are down. However, there were still sandbars all, the first train of cars ever seen in this in place that capital can be raised to form the and rapids to contend with as well the fact vicinity passed over the Cheshire road and company, build the mill and hire the workers that the river was frozen over with thick ice Sullivan (road) to Charlestown, New Hamp- to begin production. during the winter. shire. The day was fine and a great assembly From the very beginning, finding In the mid-l920’s, attempts were made of people had collected here to observe the adequate power in this region was not a to introduce steamboats in an effort to devel- grand entree of the Iron Horse. . . This day, problem. Many small rivers flowing into op river travel. The Barnet was built in 1826 Thursday, the Sullivan road is to be opened, the Connecticut and the Connecticut River especially for the trip to the Upper Valley with the usual ceremonies, to Charlestown, itself in places proved to be relatively easy and in fact was named for the town that the and then the arrival of the cars will be a to dam for power.13 This steady source of promoters hoped to reach, Barnet, Vermont common, everyday business affair." Bellows energy attracted a variety of industries to the (near St. Johnsbury, Vermont).21 On its first Falls Gazette, 1849 27 area throughout the l9th century. However, voyage up the Connecticut, the Barnet had this advantage was also a disadvantage when to be poled through rapids and, though it The process of granting railroad build- it came to transportation as the waterways finally reached Bellows Falls, it could go ing rights was legislative and companies turned out to be impossible to navigate no further because the locks were too nar- were chartered to carry out the actual build- with any degree of commercial success or row.22 Even though the same company built ing of roads through likely towns and into 14 reliability as far north as the Upper Valley. likely areas. Lower down on the Connecticut Early attempts to improve land trans- River, where steamboats had proved to be portation came with the turnpike building Early attempts to im- successful, there was considerable tension corporations which were chartered at the between those involved in river transpor- 15 prove land transportation beginning of the 19th century. The Upper tation and those who wanted to build the Valley was connected to Boston in 1801, came with the turnpike railroads.28 In the Upper Valley, however, 1803 and 1804 by the Second, Third and building corporations... where roads were about as good as they Forth New Hampshire turnpikes. These would get and where river transportation ran from Amherst to Claremont, from New had proven not to be the wave of the future, Ipswich to Walpole, and from Concord to smaller steamboats in the hope of making the the railroad was eagerly awaited, as was the Hanover.16 A few years later, the Grafton venture viable, it became clear that without economic development that it would make Turnpike was opened and this was fol- increasing the size of the locks and the boats possible. This, together with the rapid tech- lowed by the Croyden Turnpike. These they could not make a profit.23 Interest in the nical advancements in a variety of industries improved roads made travel to Boston easier river as a means of transportation died out in including the textile industry, transformed than it had been, but it was by no means fast the late l830’s, although rafts and flatboats the area from a remote backwater of or comfortable. Around 1810, the stagecoach continued to be used from time to time.24 largely agricultural pursuits to one where 16 from Keene to Boston took hours to make In the 1840’s, another method of manufacturing played a major role. These 17 the journey. transportation took New England by storm two decades, 1840 to 1860, were times of Business interests were quick to and wiped out these efforts to use remarkable change and major social and take advantage of even so tenuous a the Connecticut River for commercial economic upheaval. connection to the sources of raw mate- transportation into the Upper Valley. It The turnpikes which flourished prior rials and the markets for finished goods also made the improved network of roads to these decades, one can be sure to the available through the port of Boston. Many obsolete as the main thoroughfare for raw annoyance of the general public and of the of the textile mills of the Upper Valley were materials and finished goods. The advent of early entrepreneurs trying to get their goods founded during this period between 1810 the railroad served as the key to unlocking to market, folded and became free prior to and 1845 when the only means of transport the Upper Valley and the rest of the interior or during this period.29 18 was by wagon over these primitive roads. of New England to the world of trade and The first charter to build a railroad The first textile mill in New Hampshire was commerce. into the Upper Valley was granted to the built in 1804 at New Ipswich. In the Upper Following the experimental railroads Northern Railroad Company in 1844.30 It Valley, the Faulkner and Colony Mill in of the 1830’s, the first charters to build viable was planned to extend from Concord, previ- Keene began in 1830, there were mills in rail lines were granted to companies eager ously connected to Nashua by the Concord Claremont and Newport by 1822, and the to connect Boston to other growing cities Railway Corporation in 1842, to White Dewey Mills in Quechee began in 1836, to like Lowell, Worcester and Providence.25 River Junction in Hartford, Vermont.31 The 19 name but a few. The continuation of one of these rail lines, road was opened as far as Lebanon, New It was during this period that the the Boston and Lowell, brought the railroad Hampshire, on November 17, 1847 and, attempts were also made to make the Con- to New Hampshire and trains were running via a newly constructed bridge over the necticut River itself navigable by building 26 to Nashua by 1844. It was not long after- (Continued on page 24) 23 Le Forum (They Came to Our Valley continued from 2. FROM HEARTH TO FACTORY the Upper Valley and was responsible for page 23) many a fortune being made.43 The increased Connecticut River, to White River Junction The textile industry in the earliest use of cotton cloth meant excellent profits the following year. 32 Instead of a full day to decades of the 19th century was small, lo- for those mills equipped to turn it out in large get from the Upper Valley to Concord, it took calized and domestic in nature. It was related quantities. The problem was the supply of only a few hours. At an average speed of 23 to the local economy in much the same way raw materials from the cotton plantations in miles per hour, two trains a day left West as the common mills to grind grain which the south. This placed increased reliance on Lebanon and Concord. It was possible, for sprang up on nearly every small stream ca- the railroads. When the flow of raw cotton only $3.25, to get from Lebanon to Boston pable of providing adequate power. Prior to stopped during the Civil War years, many in less than a day.33 the 19th century, every housewife had her mills coped with the lack by converting to In 1844, a charter was also granted to spinning wheel at which she spent consider- wool, but some were unable to make this 44 the Cheshire Railroad Company to run to able time and effort turning the raw materials switch and were forced to close down. Boston through Fitchburg, Massachusetts. into cloth. Along with spinning and weaving, The Upper Valley at mid-century This line extended to Keene in 1848 and carding, dyeing and such finishing processes presented a vibrant picture of rivers pro- 39 to Bellows Falls in 1849.34 In that same as fulling were done in the home. In viding abundant power, huge mills being year, the Sullivan Railroad made built upon their banks, and ever- the link between Bellows Falls expanding railroads connecting and Claremont, running through towns with world sources and Charlestown. With the construc- markets, it showed local busi- tion of a rail bridge over the nessmen, farmers and bankers, Connecticut River into Windsor, encouraged by previously suc- the line eventually joined the cessful small textile operations, Northern Railroad at White River beginning to broaden their scope Junction making that town an im- and invest in larger textile mills. portant hub of the transportation The only element lacking in this network. increasingly bright economic Two major lines continued picture was the availability of la- north from White River junction. bor. Where were the thousands of The Passumsic Railroad reached workers to operate the new looms Wells River in 1848 and St. Johns- and work in the new factories? bury in 1851. It cost $518,263 to build this White River Junction, Vermont The answer lay to the north, not far road and the inventory included three from the Upper Valley, in the over- popu- the year 1810, for example, the women lated and impoverished agricultural regions freight engines, two passenger engines, of St. Johnsbury produced 16,505 yards of six passenger cars (painted bright yellow), of Quebec. This situation led to one of the 35 linen, 9,431 yards of wool and 1,797 yards fifty-one box cars and twenty-one flat cars. 40 more amazing and coincidental marriages of of cotton in their homes. labor and industry to occur in 19th century The Vermont Central connected with Mont- In the same way that the transportation pelier and continued north into Canada to America. Although there had been a trickle industry underwent radical changes, rapid of immigrants across the border before the Montreal. It was built in direct competition expansion and technical improvement so with a route from Bellows Falls through Rut- completion of the major railroads, the pas- did the production of textiles. The first mills senger lines that opened up between Boston land to Burlington and then to Montreal built took over some of the more onerous and by the Rutland and Burlington Railroad.36 and Montreal turned it into a flood. It had labor-intensive tasks from the housewives. become possible to travel from Quebec to This rail network was completed by They began spinning the yarn which was the connection of Bellows Falls southward any city in New England within a day or then woven into cloth in the home on domes- two for under $10.45 Many small colonies with Brattleboro and Greenfield, Massachu- tic looms.41 As time went on, fulling mills, setts. By 1852, the rail infrastructure of the of French-Canadians took root in the Upper which worked on woolen cloth to shrink Valley during the l860’s and l870’s and flour- Upper Valley was largely in place and the and to thicken it, became more common as isolation of the area at an end.37 Overnight ished during the l880’s and l890’s. did dye works. Eventually the integrated The opportunity to work in the textile the stagecoach routes were abandoned and mill concept took hold and a single mill the efforts at providing river transportation mills brought the majority of these people began with the raw materials and turned out 46 halted. In the years of development that 42 south into the United States. Recruitment finished cloth. It was at this point that the by mill owners was common in rural Quebec followed, these first rail lines were merged, need for transportation became acute. The consolidated, sold, leased and added to by and, despite at hiatus during the civil War, expansion of the railroads, in that symbio- the textile industry of the Upper valley drew the building of numerous feeder lines, but sis so often observed during the industrial the geographical picture of the main lines thousands upon thousands of French-Ca- revolution, immediately met that need and nadians into its cities and towns to live, to into and out of the valley remained the same they both prospered together. up into this century.38 work, to build churches and schools and to The production of the raw materials put down new roots. for the production of cloth is an interesting story in and of itself. The sheep raising industry had an especially great effect upon (Continued on page 25) 24 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (They Came to Our Valley continued from Rebellion,50 French-Canadians resigned y a trois cents ans, et nous sommes restes.56 page 24) themselves to their minority status, fiercely 3. LES HABITANTS resisted assimilation and zealously guarded 4. LIFE ON THE FARM their heritage. To an isolated territory, bounded by At mid-century, the habitants found Life for the majority of French-Ca- the Laurentian Highlands to the north and by themselves plagued by problems caused, in nadians in the l850’s was based upon the impenetrable wilderness on the other three part, by this isolation. As a people to whom acceptance of the ancient traditions of sides, and through which runs the mighty subsistence farming had brought simple family, faith and farm. The same isolation St. Lawrence River, came a race of sturdy comfort, if not wealth or luxury, they faced which made the new developments in farm French people eventually called habitants. poverty. They had followed the farming technology slow to arrive and slow to be They followed the lead of Jaques Cartier, traditions of their ancestors and plowed the accepted, increased the importance of and discoverer of the St. Lawrence, and Paul de same fields each year for the same crops.51 reliance upon the common language of the Maisonneuve, founder of Montreal in 1642, Crop rotation and the use of fertilizers were habitants as well as on the other aspects of and settled in to the rigors of frontier life as unknown and seed was poor. Even the live- their culture. coureurs de bois, hunters, trappers The Catholic faith provided and fishermen.47 When Louis XIV an orderly way of life in the small ascended the throne of France in villages of rural Quebec. The cure 1661, he took an interest in the of the local church was the unoffi- colonization of new France. He cial community leader in temporal distributed land grants to poor peo- as well as in spiritual matters.57 ple from Normandy, Picardy and Indeed, the parish and the village Brittany, he discharged a regiment were, for the most part, synony- there to encourage the soldiers to mous. The aspects of the sacramen- stay and settle down, and he even tal life of the church - the rituals, sent them a shipload of girls suit- the holy days, the dietary laws and able for wives.48 His policy of re- the celebrations - were the heart warding early marriages and large and soul of the French-Canadian families had far-reaching effects. experience, the home, the habitant These pioneers brought with family gathered every evening to them their Catholic faith and their pray the rosary together. Often, the French culture. Though troubled by the Iro- stock was of poor quality. French-Canadians only decorations in their simple farmhouses quois from time to time, they lived in relative were certainly not successful at farming were holy pictures of Christ and the saints.58 peace for a century as they painstakingly and, although they worked hard at it, they Within the parish, the family was the cleared the land and established their small were unable to make the transition from a main social unit59 and the roles played by the farms. The land yielded a rich harvest, the subsistence to a market economy.52 It has father and mother were very well defined. rivers and forests provided plentiful fish been said that they are really not suited after The man was responsible for the outside and game, the families of the habitants grew all to such a way of life.53 work of the farm and the woman ran the larger and larger and the settlements grew up Added to this was the burden of home. The children were expected to be around their churches. All the traditional over-population. The policy of encouraging obedient and had the primary responsibility ways and customs brought over from the large families had succeeded only too to help the family survive by working on the old country flourished in the new. well, the land proved insufficient for farm or in the home as needed.60 Formal On September 13, 1759 things subdivision into farms for each generation. education was not a priority, but along with changed. In just twenty minutes, on the By the mid-19th century, the land of the learning how to farm or how to keep house, Plains of Abraham outside Quebec City, habitants had become a rural backwater of most learned to read and write in the one- France lost her thriving colony to the En- grinding poverty, poor roads and transpor- room parish school.61 glish.49 tation and little education54 where it was The typical farm consisted of about When this defeat was confirmed by evident to all that something had to be done. fifty acres, planted in wheat, or sometimes the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the habitants The government encouraged migra- potatoes or peas, as a cash crop.62 Each became a subject people. Maintaining that tion to the west, but this took ready money farm also had cattle, oxen for plowing, pigs they never surrendered, they stubbornly which the typical habitant didn’t have. The and chickens, and a variety of fruits and resisted the English at every turn. Their same government also discouraged the vegetables grown for family consumption. differences from the English in faith, young people from this area from working When a farmer was ready to retire, he left culture and language, assisted by British in the new factories of Montreal and Québec the family farm to one of his middle sons colonial policies and combined with the City.55 This was a society frustrated both and lived out his years with him. The oldest geographical isolation, made a virtual island by the English government and by its own son might have been given a farm of his of the province of Quebec around which attempts to survive by farming the stubborn own if there had been enough land left for the events of the following century flowed. earth. Despite these frustrations, the French subdivision, but the remaining sons had few But for an ill-fated attempt at resistance to people of the province of Quebec continued choices. They could become artisans, jour- British rule in 1837-1838, called Papineau’s to affirm with pride: Nous sommes venus il (Continued on page 26) 25 Le Forum (They Came to Our Valley continued from also capital waiting to be invested by bold under strict curfew. page 25) entrepreneurs. One of them was Francis This so-called “utopian" period came naliers (hired hands) or perhaps enter the Cabot Lowell. to an end just before the Civil War when the priesthood. The daughters were expected to Lowell traveled to England in 1811 mill girls were replaced by Irish immigrant marry farmers or to enter the religious life.63 and carefully observed the new English families who were willing to work for less.74 When the emigration to the mills power looms in operation there. Upon his Smaller numbers of Swedish, German and began, those left on the farm were often the return to Boston, he formed a company to Scottish immigrants also found work in very young and the very old. Those in their build such a mill in Waltham.69 So successful the mills during this period, as did the first middle years, whether unmarried sons or was this first venture of the Boston Manufac- French-Canadians.75 These early arrivals whole families, set out to make their for- turing Company that by 1829 the idea was were often young men with a sense of tunes. Though the Canadian government, ready for expansion. Some property was adventure who returned to Quebec during for a time, encouraged them to move out purchased on the Merrimack River and the the war.76 west, few considered this a viable option Lowell Complex, built by the newly formed By the time the war broke out, the since family ties would then have been more Merrimack Manufacturing Company, took mills that had had the foresight to stockpile difficult if not impossible to maintain. New shape. By 1840, Lowell had grown to have raw cotton, realizing that their supply lines England, on the other hand, was geograph- the second largest population of any city in would be disrupted, were able to continue ically close and there were excellent rail New England.70 operations. Some mills shifted production connections for visits home whenever they Besides the availability of invest- to other goods and materials for the war could be arranged.64 ment capital, two other considerations effort, while still others had to close down. During these few decades at mid-cen- affected the building of a textile mill; the At the end of the war, the large number of tury, the habitants scratching out a living source of water power and the method of mills that had survived were poised for re- from their ancestral lands in Quebec, ex- transporting raw materials from the ports to sumption of production on a big scale. The perienced an increasing level of poverty. the factories and the finished goods back to problem was that they faced a critical labor They saw a steady rise in population and the ports. Prior to the advent of the railroads shortage. The mill girls had gone home, the an increase in the sheer hard work needed in the l830’s, poor roads made expansion war had taken its toll on the male popula- to survive. This produced a restlessness in into the interior of New England difficult tion,77 and the Western frontier had lured the younger hearts, a willingness to consider despite abundant sources of water power. away many a Yankee farmer and European change in the older folk and a general feeling By mid-century, however, New England immigrant. It was into this labor vacuum that something needed to happen. It is indic- featured hundreds of towns in which textile that the French-Canadian workers came and ative of the difficulty of their existence that manufacturing had become an important found a warm welcome. When they returned the first workers to accept the drudgery and part of the economy, thanks to the railroads. to impoverished Quebec, they told others boredom of work in a textile mill spoke of it The rural face of the region changed and the of the rewards of mill work just across the as a significant improvement in their lives.65 population shifted from the scattered farms border. Soon the trains south from Quebec to the booming mill towns and cities.71 were filled with habitant families destined 5. THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY Some of them, like Lawrence, Lowell, for the mill towns of New England. Holyoke, Massachusetts, and Manchester, FROM BIRTH TO MATURITY New Hampshire, were built by the textile 6. THE HABITANTS MOVE industry on the Slatersville model. Slaters- SOUTH In England, towards the end of the ville was the prototypical mill town, built by 18th century, there were developments in Samuel Slater in the 1790’s near Pawtucket, "I was born in St. Ephrern d’Upton, the automation of spinning and weaving that Rhode Island. It had the long narrow mill P.Q., not far from St. Hyacynthe and Mon- would eventually bring great changes to the building with its bell tower, the company treal, June 29, l856. I was the fourth in a small farm landscape of rural New England. housing and company store, and even the family of fourteen children, five of whom The inventions of Richard Arkwright and paternalistic attitude towards the workers are still living. It took us four days and as Samuel Crompton, which made hand-spin- which would characterize the world of the many nights to go from our hometown, St. ning obsolete, were brought to Pawtucket, textile mill well into the 20th century.72 Ephrem d’Upton, to Lowell in l864. Train Rhode Island by Samuel Slater who built the The textile industry went through engines weren’t big and powerful in those 66 first textile mill there in 1790. This mill several stages with regard to that last days. Besides, they were wood-burners, and made yarn which was then distributed to essential ingredient in its development; a la- you couldn’t put enough wood in the tender 67 homes for hand weaving into cloth. bor force. Following the English pattern, the to make long trips. So trains didn’t run far There were handsome profits to be earliest mill workers were young children.73 and never during the night. We started from made in such ventures, and many was the They were followed, in the 1820’s, by young St. Ephrem in the afternoon and went as far town or village where the local profession- women who seemed to be ideal for the work as Sherbrooke and slept there. The next day, als, businessmen and farmers pooled their of tending the looms and spindles. Recruited we reached Island Pond, Vermont, and spent capital to build a small mill. A real boost from the farms of rural New England, they the night in that customs town. It was a very was given to the young industry by the re- lived carefully supervised and regulated small place too. The following morning, the strictions placed on English cloth during the lives. Attendance at church was compulsory. old Grand Trunk took us to Portland, Maine, 68 War of 1812. In the port cities like Boston, They were not allowed to drink alcoholic and again we passed the night there, because Providence, New London and Portland, beverages, and they lived in boarding houses (Continued on page 27) enriched by their merchant fleets, there was 26 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (They Came to Our Valley continued from sive influx of people.83 Even though both 1 C.Stewart Doty, The First Franco-Americans page 26) groups were Catholic, it was not enough (Orono; University of Maine, 1985), P152. 2 Steve Dunwell, The Run Of the Mill (Boston: the train went no further. After another to provide grounds for tolerance or peace David Fl. Godine, 1978),p. 113. night’s rest, on a different railroad, we were between them. 3 Dyke Hendrickson, Quiet Presence (Portland: on our way to Boston where we had to find The first project undertaken in a Petit Guy Gannett, 1980), p.1. lodgings once more. At last, the fifth day, Canada (Little Canada) was the construction 4 Tamara Hareven, Amoskeag (New York: Pantheon, 1978), p.20. we landed in Lowell where we were to live of a church. Although the cures in Canada 5 Michael Guignard, La Foi La Langue La for eight years. . . had at first resisted this movement of their Culture (1982), p.90. When we landed in Lowell in 1864, people to another land, they eventually 6 Horace Miner, St. Denis (Chicago: Phoenix there were very few French-Canadians, only followed and helped to make life in the Books, 1939), p. xiv. 7 Guignard (n. 5 above), p.2. five families at one end of the city, fifteen at Franco-American communities as close to 8 Doty (n. 1 above), p 69. interview with a the other. Many more came after the Civil the old habitant way of life as it could be, Franco-American. War was over. I was only eight years old, but given the demands of the factory and the 9 Quoted in Dunwell (n.2 above), p.113. that didn’t stop me from going to work. My location in a foreign land.84 10 Guignard (n. 5 above), p.8. Quoted from a work by the Rev. Arnaron entitled, Your Heritage, or first job as a textile worker was in the Law- One of the most significant differences New England Threatened rence mill, no. 5, where I worked as a bag between the Franco-Americans and the Irish 11 Dunwell, The Run of the Mill, p. 256 boy and a doffer78 for about three years."79 was their regard for trade unionism. 'The 12 Jerald Wikoff, The Upper Valley (Chelsea, This journey so well described by Irish felt strongly about joining unions and Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Company. 1985), pp 13-14. Philippe Lemay, often started out by horse striking for better wages or conditions while 13 Edmund Delaney, The Connecticut River 80 cart over primitive rural roads. The ha- the French were loath to join and rarely (Chester, Connecticut: Globe Pequot Press, 1983), bitants who were thinking about life in a went on strike. This was one of the traits p. 130. mill town discussed it with those who had that endeared them to the mill owners.85 14 Harold Fisher Wilson, The Hill County of Northern New England (New York Columbia returned for a visit. Perhaps they were en- Because of their own well-developed University couraged by one of the mill agents combing fraternal organizations, their tradition of Press, 1936), p. 34. the area for recruits.81 When the decision had helping each other and their ability to agree 15 James D. Squires, The Granite State of the been made, they said goodbye to family and among themselves on how the work ought US. (New York: American History Company, 1956), p. 253. friends, and to the land of their ancestors. to be done, they did not see the union or a 16 Wikoff (n. 12 above), p. 71. Many left with the idea of returning in time strike as useful in most cases. 17 Kay Fox, et al., Upper Ashuelot (Keene, New and some actually did, but all carried with The habitants, including the women Hampshire; Keene historical Commission, 1968), p. them a deep love for their homeland and a and children, took readily to even the most 46. 18 Squires (n. 15 above), p. 291. fond memory of life on the farm. menial jobs in the mill. They took the long 19 Ibid., p.294 Their destination was usually a town hours, the incredible noise and the difficult 20 Wikoff (n. 12 above), p. 71. or village in New England where others in work and they won the reputation for being 21 Delaney (n. 13 above), p. 111. their family or ancestral village had estab- hardworking, dependable and stable. 22 Wikoff (n. 12 above), p. 59. 23 Wilson (n. 14 above), p. 33. One of these lished a beachhead. They often lived in the With the “star rays of progress on their boats, the John Ledyard, made it as far north as Wells cramped apartments of relatives until they brows,"86 the early entrepreneurs like Francis River where it got stuck on a sandbar. Ibid., were able to live on their own. These new Lowell saw the opportunity to make huge p. 34 arrivals relied upon family members to intro- profits, to produce goods for growing 24 Ibid., p. 34 25 Squires (n. 15 above), p. 270. duce them to the foreman at the factory and markets, to utilize the rapidly expanding 26 Pillsbury Hobart, New Hampshire (New 82 to help them adjust to the work in the mill. technology, to harness the available water York; The Lewis Historical Publishing Company., This remarkable cohesiveness and willing- and steam power and to take advantage of 1927), p. 452. ness to help one another, in addition to the the developing railroads. They were able to 27 Wikoff (n. 12 above), p. 115. From Bellows Falls Gazette, 1849. strong attachment to the French language sustain the rapid buildup and the steady ex- 28 Ibid., p. 116. and culture, characterized life in the Petit pansion of their immense empire throughout 29 The 3rd New Hampshire turnpike was Canada districts. It might be partly explained New England thanks to the ready availability declared free in 1824, the 2nd in 1837 and the 4th in by the fact that French-Canadians had been of a dedicated and willing labor force. The 1840. The Grafton turnpike was made free in 1827 and the Cheshire turnpike in 1841. Pillsbury (n. 15 above), a subject people since 1763 and had learned habitants, "pioneers of industrial Ameri- pp. 425-426. how to cope and how to survive in a strange ca,"87 saw the opportunity to rescue them- 30 Everett Stackpole, History of New Hamp- and hostile world. selves from lives of degrading poverty and to shire (New York: The American Historical Society, Upon their arrival, they faced the same provide for their children and grandchildren 1916. p.167. 31 Ibid. difficulties that most immigrants faced. The the benefits of life in a new and thriving land. 32 Hobart (n. 26 above), p. 475. town, streets and buildings were different to This remarkable historical coincidence; this 33 Wikoff (n. 12 above), p. 110 them, the culture was so unlike their own singular and significant marriage of labor 34 Squires (n. 15 above), p. 272. and they could not speak or understand the and capital featured within it both the best 35 Fredric Wells, History of Barnet, Vermont (Burlington; Burlington Free Press Printing, 1923. p. language. They faced challenges and frus- and the worst of such relationships. 237. trations living and working in this new land. 36 Wilson (n. 4 above), p.40. They also faced the often bitter resentment 37 Ibid. of the Irish immigrants who had preceded 38 Wikoff (n. 1 above), p. 111. 39 Edward Fairbanks, The Town of St. Johns- them and who felt threatened by this mas- (Continued on page 31) 27 Le Forum JUSTICE FOR LES ACADIENS DU-MADAWASKA-AMÉRICAIN. PREDJUDICE AD VITAM ET ETERNAM by Roger Paradis The Acadian people of la Vallée- again separated by a secret boundary treaty Valley was isolated from the next nearest du-Haut-Saint-Jean and Louisiana are the that was negotiated from the privacy of community of any size by a virtually track- descendents of the survivors of a HOLO- Secretary of State Daniel Webster’s office, less wilderness of a hundred miles, and the CAUST that was pronounced against them, without so much as by your leave. The Trea- seat of government by some three hundred on July 28, 1755, by the Chief Justice of ty of Washington, commonly known as the miles. If this was not a crime, it should be. Nova Scotia, Johnathan Belcher. They were Webster-Ashburton Treaty, internationalized Blood is thicker than water, especially the sacrificed on the explicit orders of King the fleuve Saint-Jean thalweg that bifurcated water that divides people. So it was that the George II because, in the name of freedom the homogeneous Madawaska Settlement. Madawaska Acadians became the most iden- of religion, they declined to swear the Oath Lord Ashburton proposed a line along the tifiable white, French, and Catholic minority of Allegiance and Abjuration. They were Fish River to Van Buren that would have pre- in the United States, and the football of for- declared “Papist Recusants,” and guilty of served the unity of the Acadian settlement, tune that it still remains. And this is not likely rebellion, and weeks later the first contingent but Secretary Webster bowed to the timber to change because of the Valley’s proximity of victims were deported to the thirteen barons of the state, and the land speculators to the bilingual province of New Brunswick mainland British colonies in North Ameri- and bilingual Canada, and its propinquity to ca. the French province of Québec. The century that preceded the Acadian Last year’s unauthorized cannibal- diaspora,1613-1713, L’Acadie was attacked ization of UMFK’s education programs by nine times that wrought death and destruc- UMPI is only the most recent and arrogant tion to the inhabitants. Once by pirates, once example of Valley exploitation and it sets by a freebooter out of Jamestown, and seven a dangerous precedent, not only for the times by mostly Puritan forces out of Boston University of Maine System, but for higher and elsewhere. The intent of the deportation education generally. Moreover, it trenches was different, however. In the words of on the democratic process. Might does not Monsigneur Stanislas Doucet, in 1922, the make right, and the end never justifies the intention was the “extinction” of la nation means, especially harsh means. It must be acadienne. Two years earlier, Rev. Thomas wondered, therefore, how long the scandal- Albert called the deportation a “crime de ous exploitation and discrimination against lèse humanité.” In 1998, the writer termed UMFK would have been tolerated if the the deportation a GENOCIDE under Article Acadians were Black instead of White? II of the Statutes of Rome adopted on Jan- Or Semitic instead of French and Catholic. uary 1, 1951, and Article VI of the Geneva The Madawaska Acadians are a paragon of Convention of August 1, 2002. patience and tolerance, resigned and im- The Acadian diaspora lasted eight passive in the face of abuse, even criminal years and claimed the lives of some 50% abuse. La Vallée Saint-Jean is a cornucopia of the people, conservatively estimated. of culture, a pearl of great worth that should The loss of life would be greater still if we of Massachusetts. The brutal boundary be accented, not negatived; cherished and included babies in the womb and infants to settlement of 1842 that was imposed on the nurtured, rather than exploited, and extolled the age of two who were not counted, and Madawaska Acadians was unnecessary, and for emulation by the state and nation. infants to the age of ten who were counted probably unconstitutional. This was not a only as half an adult. states’ right issue. The United States was not Roger Paradis is a retired history and The persecution of the Acadian peo- at war, and it did not have a vital interest in folklore professor of UMFK. He resides at ple did not end in 1763. It continued in the the Madawaska Territory. 835 Frenchville Rd., and his phone is listed. form of property confiscation and expulsion, Boundaries should unite people, not exclusion from public office, and the denial divide them, especially over such a mundane of the most basic civil liberties including consideration as a few thousand acres of pine suffrage. Notwithstanding the passage of the swampland. No consideration was given Catholic Emancipation Act by Parliament, in to kinship or ethnicity. The south-shore 1838, the oppression of the Acadian people inhabitants became ipso-facto second-class continued in the form of literacy tests and American citizens. They were confined to a gerrymandering. French and Catholic ghetto of the Pine Tree In 1842, Acadian families were State that was English and Protestant. The 28

FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 David Le Gallant* Au bas mot, cette proclamation royale « can- adienne » relève d’un nation-building fdéral des plus insidieux et étranglants pour ex- SE DÉFAIRE DU 28 JUILLET onérer l’institution de la monarchie d’origine allemande qui règne séparément au Royau- me-Uni et au Canada. Plus probant encore, INFÂME DE PATRIMOINE cette date commémore les « hautes oeuvres » du génocide acadien, en premières lignes CANADIEN... celles du sanguinaire Robert Monckton. Comment les Acadiens peuvent-ils accepter Peut-on imaginer que soudainement le insipide, incolore et inodore de bonnes que l’université francophone cosmopolite gouvernement fédéral décide qu’il faut intentions enrobées dans l’euphémisme qui forme leur jeunesse porte le nom de ce remplacer la date commémorative du jour dudit Grand Dérangement ». Les ultimes criminel de guerre camouflé sous la graphie du Souvenir canadien du « 11 Novembre » responsables de ce plus grand subterfuge de « Moncton »? (date anniversaire de la fin des combats canadien à l’endroit des Acadiens sont de la Première Guerre mondiale) par la en premier lieu l’ancien premier ministre Pour faire valoir plutôt la date anu- date infâme de la déclaration en 1914 qui Jean Chrétien, Stéphane Dion, l’actuel elle du 13 décembre à titre de « Jour du a causé le déclenchement de cette Grande ambassadeur canadien en Allemagne, Souvenir acadien » Guerre (1914-1918)? Ne serait-ce pas Sheila Copps, alors à Patrimoine canadien plutôt de mise de retenir le 11 Novembre mais plus significativement la députation Le 13 décembre 1755 est la date pré- puisque cette date marque la fin officielle libérale fédérale « acadienne » de l’époque cise de la journée la plus meurtrière des huit de tant de souffrances humaines et d’inno- dont Dominic LeBlanc, actuel ministre des années du Grand Dérangement (1755-1762). centes victimes? Affaires intergouvernementales et du Nord Cette plus grande perte de vies a eu lieu lors Pourtant, c’est exactement ce que et du Commerce intérieur. de la noyade de presque 400 Acadiens à bord Patrimoine canadien en collusion avec des du Duke William, le pire d’un convoi de ferrures dorées de l’élite acadienne, fait Pourquoi la date annuelle du 28 trois naufrages totalisant plus de 850 noyés chaque 28 juillet depuis 2005 (250e du juillet est-elle la plus exécrable qui soit à survenus en cinq jours en décembre 1758 début de la Déportation) à titre de Journée l’endroit des Acadiens? (du 12 décembre au 16 décembre : d’abord de commémoration du « Grand Dérange- au large des Cornouailles, les 12 décembre ment » (sic), le terme qui édulcore ce qui Le 28 juillet 1755 est la date précise (Violet) et 13 décembre (Duke William), et constitue un véritable génocide! Il y a déjà du dépôt du renvoi judiciaire de Jonathan ensuite aux Açores le 16 décembre (Ruby). 15 ans cette année que Patrimoine canadien Belcher, juge en chef et membre du gouver- Ces naufrages ont coûté aux Acadiens plus « a institué » cela par Proclamation royale nement de la Nouvelle-Écosse. Des raisons de vies que n’importe quel autre événement (9 décembre 2003) de la reine Elizabeth II, purement politiques jugées de nécessité du Grand Dérangement. La plupart de ceux- à titre de reine du Canada! impérieuse - qui est la loi du moment - de ci étaient des enfants dont l’âge moyen était Problème! À l’instar des Canadiens protéger les intérêts de Sa Majesté dans d’environ 15 ans. pour l’armistice du 11 novembre 1918 la province, « obligeaient» le juge en chef Il s’avère que des recueillements en marquant la fin de tant de souffrances hu- Belcher de conseiller humblement la « dé- commémoration de cette journée la plus maines, les Acadiens eux n’ont pas le choix portation » de tous les habitants français. meurtrière du génocide acadien ont déjà judicieux de remémorer la fin officielle de (Source : procès-verbal du 28 juillet 1755 et continuent à être observés depuis que leur génocide parce que leur statut d’exilés, émanant du Conseil de la Nouvelle-Écosse). M. Stephen White, généalogiste au Centre de rebelles ou de sédicieux n’a jamais été Qui plus est, le 28 juillet 1755, en d’études acadiennes Anselme-Chiasson de abrogé par la Couronne britannique donc présence à Halifax des représentants de Sa l’Université de Moncton (Monckton), avait pas question de parler de date qui marquer- Majesté britannique George II - les amiraux proposé en octobre 2000, lors du congrès de ait la fin officielle de tant de souffrances britanniques Boscawen et Mostyn - est la la Fédération des Associations de familles humaines qui ont été causées à l’endroit des date précise qu’on met en branle les me- acadiennes (FAFA) : Que le 13 décembre Acadiens dont la mémoire demeure encore sures à prendre pour la Déportation ainsi soit désigné comme le Jour du Souvenir aujourd’hui hantée. que les lieux où « distribuer » les Acadiens, acadien ! Cette proposition a fait du chemin étant donné que la décision de déporter les depuis la toute première commémoration du Remplacer la commémoration fédérale Acadiens avait déjà été déterminée d’avance « Jour du Souvenir acadien » qui eut lieu le13 viciée du 28 juillet par un « Jour du Sou- (toujours selon le procès-verbal du 28 juil- décembre 2004 à la chapelle Notre-Dame venir acadien » annuel let) : As it had been determined to send all d’Acadie, au campus de l’Université de the French inhabitants out of the Province Moncton. S’ensuivirent des commémora- Il faut que soit abolie ladite « Journée if they refuse to take the oaths... tions à Dieppe (2007), Memramcook (2009) de commémoration du Grand Dérange- C’est cette date fatidique que Patri- et annuellement depuis 2008 à Port-Lajoie ment » du calendrier fédéral canadien - moine canadien a ciblée par le biais de la (en face de Charlottetown, Î.-P.-É). En pas- journée fomentée par Patrimine canadien Proclamation royale de 2003, promulguée sant, un avantage de la date du 13 décembre qui est, comme le disait l’Acadien québécois au nom d’Elizabeth II, pour que les Acadiens à titre de Jour du Souvenir acadien est que Stéphane Bergeron « une bouillabaisse commémorent annuellement leur génocide. (Suite voir page 30) 29 Le Forum (SE DÉFAIRE DU 28 JUILLET INFÂME DE PATRIMOINE Summer in New Hampshire CANADIEN...suite de page 29) By: Timothy Beaulieu c’est un jour où les écoles peuvent participer It was well known that the Fran- an eye to the future and bringing the French ce qui n’est jamais le cas pour le 28 juillet, co-American Centre (FACNH) holds an World to life for the new generation. Engag- privilégiant la saison des vacanciers. annual Saint-Jean Baptiste Day celebration ing children and introducing them to French Maintenant que des Acadiens ont as well as our Super Bowl – NH PoutineFest. at an early age can help foster a lifelong pertinemment mis en branle leur propre That’s not all we are up to over the summer! interest. Can we ever fully recreate the way Jour du Souvenir bien à eux, pourquoi Pat- Our Festival d’été is a full three month it used to be? Probably not and that’s ok. rimoine canadien et le Parti libéral fédéral celebration of French language, heritage Organizations like ours have the ability to canadien persisteraient-ils à faire perdurer and culture. create a whole new thing. leur « Journée de commémoration du Grand As a volunteer lead organization Here are our summer programs that Dérangement » sinon que pour nous rappeler we are extremely fortunate to have such a supported that cause: annuellement les hautes œuvres infâmes du dedicated team of volunteers. Over this past génocide acadien qui furent mises en branle summer we were particularly lucky to have Kids Camp de Jeunes dès le 28 juillet 1755. Un 28 juillet pas du a group of very talented women leading the tout commémorable... vast majority of our programs. One of our Volunteer Organizers - Daniella De quel droit peut-on s’approprier le most active summers to date! Hind and Abby Snarski vécu transgénérationnel du peuple acadien In the past our grandparents or great pour lequel la famille royale britannique et grandparents may have spoken French at In July, the Centre hosted its third son gouvernement de l’époque ont contem- home or had stories about what life was like annual Kids Camp de Jeunes. This camp plé une « solution finale » ? for early immigrants. As each generation is intended to teach children (6 to12 years- De quel droit moral aujourd’hui le passes those immigration stories become old) about the French language and culture gouvernement libéral majoritaire de Justin more and more distant. through playful and hands-on activities. For Trudeau utilise à tout bout de champ l’arme Most of our summer programs have some of the children it is there first introduc- du sournois multiculturalisme canadien pour tion to anything French. faire croire aux Acadiens et aux Acadiennes, à chaque 28 juillet, que la reine d’Angleterre s’est excusée pour les torts à leur endroit alors que c’est tout le contraire qu’on nous crache dans ladite Proclamation royale ca- nadienne depuis 15 ans. Pourtant ce peuple acadien est un des peuples fondateurs du Canada et non de l’immigration comme le préconise Kids Camp de Jeunes l’argumentaire toujours au nom du même July 2018 multiculturalisme uniformisant invoqué par Justin Trudeau et les soudaines « nouvelles règles du jeu » de Mélanie Joly qui a dû récemment céder sa place à la barre de Pat- rimoine canadien... peut-être pour justifier de nouvelles règles de jeu asymétriques aux Langues officielles...

______* Historien acadien originaire de l’Île- du-Prince-Édouard et diplômé en droit (1990) de l’Université de Moncton. Camp Bienvenue to a strange land, now their ancestors (us) can help welcome new French speakers to Volunteer Organizers - Lamienne the United States. This camp is specifically Faverdieu and Abby Snarski designed for French speaking immigrant children. In early August, the Centre hosted Our first camp included eight young its first annual “Camp Bienvenue.” This Haitian-American children. The goal of the program brings the Franco-American camp is to provide the children a welcoming immigrant story full circle. Two to three experience and familiarize them to their new generations ago our ancestors were coming (Continued on page 31) 30 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (Summer in New Hampshire continued (They Came to Our Valley continued from from page 30) page 27) bury, Vermont (St tlohnsburyi Cowles Press, 1914), home in their mother tongue. Counselors p 13. took the students to the Palace Theatre, 40 Ibid. Currier Museum of Art and Northeast Delta 41 Dunwell (n. 2 above), p.15. 42 Gerard Brault, The French-Canadian Her- Dental Stadium. itage in New England (Hanover: University Press of New England, 1986), p. 54. 43 Wikoff ( n.12 above), p. 108. 44 Ibid. 45 Ralph D. Vicero, The Immigration of French-Canadians to New England (Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Wisconsin, 1969), p. 112. It is interesting to note that in 1870, fully half of the passenger revenues of the Worcester & Nashua Railroad were from French-Canadians. (p. 205) 46 Ibid. p. 164. 47 Michel Guignard, La Foi- La Langue- La Culture (1982), p. 1. 48 Horace Miner (n. 6 above), p.4. 49 Gerard Brault ( n. 42 above), p.6. 50 Dyke Hendrickson, Quiet Presence (Port- land: Guy Gannett, 1980), p 20. 51 Hendrickson (n. 50 above), p.18. They planted chiefly wheat. 52 Brault (n. 42 above), p.8. 53 Ibid., Hendrickson (n. 50 above), p.18. 54 Ibid., Children were often needed to work in the fields. 55 Ibid., p.17. Half Way to Mardi Gras 56 Brault (n. 42 above), p.8. We came three 2018 hundred years ago and we stayed. 57 Brault, p. 9. 58 Ibid., p.11. Half Way to Mardi Gras 59 Miner, St. Denis, p.63. Volunteer Organizer - 60 Brault (n. 42 above), p.11. 61 C. Stewart Doty (n. 1 above) p. 993. Carolyn Maheu 62 Hendrickson, p. 18. 63 Brault (n.42 above), pp. 13-14. We capped off summer with our annu- 64 Guignard ( n. 47 above), p. 43. 65 Doty (n. 1 above), p 144 al Half Way to Mardi Gras celebration. This 66 Steve Dunwell (n. 2 above), p. 14. Camp Bienvenue event took place at Madear’s in downtown 67 Ibid., p.15. August 2018 Manchester. 68 Robert Leblanc, Location of Manufacturing Mardi Gras usually takes place during in New England in the 19th Century (Hanover, N.H: Dartmouth College, 1969), p. 45. the worst weather time in NH. We thought 69 Dunwell (n. 2 above), pp. 30 - 31. why not celebrate it during the best weather 70 Leblanc (n. 68 above), p. 50. Acadian Family fun day time? It’s a really great way for all of us to 71 Ibid., p. 85. get together and celebrate all the hard work 72 Dunwell (n. 2 above), pp. 19-21. Volunteer Organizer - 73 Leblanc (n. 68 above), Around 1800, more over the summer. than 100 children were working in Slater’s Mill. Nathalie Hirte 74 Dunwell (n.1 above), p. 97. Timothy Beaulieu is a 30-something 75 Ibid. p. 112. In mid-August, the Centre celebrated trustee of the Franco-American Centre of 76 Hendrickson, p. 32. its fourth annual Acadian Family Fun Day. New Hampshire and founder of NH Pou- 77 Ibid., p. 36. Though many in New England have Acadian 78A bag boy is a type of unskilled laborer and tineFest. a doffer removes (doffs) the finished product from Heritage it is not something that gets much a machine.Tamara Hareven, Amoskeag (New York: attention in main stream discourse. Our Pantheon, 1978) p. 396. event generally takes place around the time 79Doty,The First Franco-Americans, pp.16- of National Acadian Day to shine a spot light 17. From the life history narrative of Philippe Lemay, written down in 1939. on this distinct and proud history. 80 Hendrickson, Quiet Presence, p, 8. This year’s event took place at Joppa 81Hareven, Amoskeag, p. 19. Hill Farm in Bedford, NH. Families cele- 82 Doty (n.1 above), p.153. brated with picnic lunches, games, songs, 83 Guignard, La Foi - La Langue- La Culture, p. 101. and good times. 84 Dunwell, The Run of the Mill, p. 116. 85 Hendrickson (n. 2 above), p. 37. 86 Translation of a line from a poem by William Chapman. 87 Hendrickson (n 2 above), p. 2. 31 Le Forum which may be seen at parishes within a city, A (Not So) Brief Guide to Celebrate or decades ago, in the villages of French Canada, a circuit around the village center, Summer and Fall with Books or even around the village itself. The purpose of a Eucharistic procession is that Jesus Published by the NMDC of Christ Himself, through the Eucharist in the monstrance, blesses the area around the Franco-American Literature and procession. Hence, the farms in the villages of French Canada would be blessed annually during the Corpus Christi processions. Culture Unlike the previous installments in the series, the Catholic liturgical season By Albert J. Marceau, Newington, Conn. throughout Summer and Fall is just one The natural seasons of Summer and opening image is a Eucharistic procession on season, Sundays in Ordinary Time, and the Fall and the Catholic liturgical season of the Feast of Corpus Christi, and the closing liturgical color is green. The astute readers Sundays in Ordinary Time are the subjects image returns to the Eucharistic procession of Le Forum would know that Sundays in of my fourth, and likely, last installment, on in the final line: “Portent la Verité comme Ordinary Time begins in January with the Franco-American literature and culture, as une Eucharistie,” which means in English: Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, which is published by the National Materials Devel- “Carrying the Truth as a Eucharist.” Since the Sunday after the Feast of the Baptism opment Center for French, abbreviated as Eucharistic processions are rather rare today, of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and lasts until NMDC. The next installment will likely be Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, the day before a supplement that will accompany the stan- the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. dard issue of Le Forum. Like the preceding The Sundays in Ordinary Time return in three installments, the ten books that are the Spring or Summer with consecutive examined for the article are the nine-volume numbering on the Sunday after the Feast set entitled: Anthologie de la littérature fran- of Corpus Christi, and culminate with the co-américaine de la Nouvelle-Angleterre, Feast of Christ, King of the Universe, which and the cookbook, Nothing Went to Waste in is the last Sunday of the liturgical year. grandmother’s kitchen/Rien n’était gaspille The following Sunday is the first Sunday dans la cuisine de ma grand-mère by Betty of the liturgical year, the First Sunday of A. Lausier Lindsay. Advent, and the liturgical color is purple. After the third installment to the series When the Franco-American authors were was published in Le Forum, I realized that alive, and writing their texts that were later I omitted a piece of prose that could have published in the Anthologie, the liturgical been included under the Feast of the Nativity season of Sundays in Ordinary Time were of St. John the Baptist. The piece is chapter called either the Sundays after Epiphany, or seven of part two, which is entitled: “Le 24 Sundays after Pentecost, and the liturgical juin 1874,” within the novel Jeanne la fileuse color for both seasons is green. The Sundays by Honoré Beaugrand, where the heroine after Epiphany start with the Second Sun- of the novel, Jeanne Girard, witnesses the day after Epiphany and end on the Sunday festivities in Montreal. However, the same they are typically held after the mass on the before Septuagesima Sunday, which occurs chapter is truncated to an editorial gloss on Feast of Corpus Christ, and the procession is three Sundays before Ash Wednesday. The page 40 in volume one of the Anthologie. led by two thurifers, followed by the priest Sundays after Pentecost begin on the Third Also after the third installment of holding the Eucharist within a monstrance, Sunday after Pentecost, which is the Sunday the series was published in Le Forum, I also called an ostensorium, flanked by two after the Feast of Corpus Christi, and end discovered a poem that should have been acolytes holding candles, followed by the with the Last Sunday after Pentecost, which listed under the Feast of Corpus Christi, parish choir, and then followed by the laity is the Sunday before the First Sunday in which is “Chanson intellectual” by Louis of the parish. The hands of the priest cannot Advent. The earlier name for the liturgical Dantin, the nom de plume of Eugene Seers be seen holding the monstrance, because seasons of Sundays after Epiphany and (1865-1945), and found on pages 58 to 63 of they are covered by a humeral veil, which Sundays after Pentecost are still used for the volume nine of the Anthologie. The poem is a long strip of cloth, where both ends are liturgy known as the Extraordinary Form of has 37 quatrains with a rhyme scheme of wrapped around his hands, and the loop of the Mass, or in Latin, Missa Extraordinariae abab, and the quatrains are divided into the cloth extends over his arms and shoul- Formae, while the current liturgical season four sections, five in the first section, six ders. The monstrance, and the priest, are of Sundays in Ordinary Time, are from the in the second section, ten in the third sec- shaded by a ceremonial umbrella, called an current New Order of the Mass, or in Latin, tion, and sixteen in the fourth section. The ombrellino, carried by another acolyte. A Novus Ordo Missae. Although the name of poem is a meditation on the Feast of Corpus Eucharistic procession my occur within the the Last Sunday after Pentecost may have Christi, and by extension, a mediation on aisles of a church, or outdoors on the church humble name, the Gospel reading is from the Eucharist and Transubstantiation. The grounds, or a few blocks around the church, (Continued on page 33) 32 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (A (Not So) Brief Guide to Celebrate meaning of Labor Day has greatly changed wrote a poem entitled “Canicule,” which is Summer and Fall with Books Published by from the early 20th Century until now. In found on pages 170 to 171 in volume nine the NMDC of Franco-American Literature the late 19th and the early 20th Centuries, of the Anthologie. The title of the poem, and Culture continued from page 32) Labor Day was a day when labor unions “Canicule,” is the same word in English, and Matthew 24:15-35, and the culminating would hold parades in the streets of cities, it pertains to the dog-days of Summer, from image of the passage is the end of time, and carry banners of a political nature about July 24 to August 24, when the brightest said in the last line of the Gospel passage: the significance of their labor. For example, star in the sky, Sirius, which is within the “Coelum et terra transibunt, verba autem the Boston Globe reported on Tuesday, Sep- constellation of Canis Major, Latin for “the mea non praeteribunt,” which translates into tember 5, 1899, under the headline: “4731 Big Dog,” rises with the Sun. The poem English as: “Heaven and Earth shall pass Men In Line: Labor Day Parade Calls Forth is written in 24 lines of free verse, with an away, but My Word shall not pass away.” Cheers of Thousands,” that the Mayor of intermittent rhyme scheme. After the title The aforementioned Feast of Christ, King Boston, Josiah Quincy of the Democratic of the poem is a quote from the book, The of the Universe in the current Novus Ordo Party, reviewed the parade that passed Imitation of Jesus Christ, written by Thomas Rite, was originally celebrated as the Feast through Copley Square. (Notice that the à Kempis, circa 1418 to 1427, and the sub- of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ headline has an exact number of men who ject of the quote is about the struggle with in the Missae Extraordinariae Formae, and were in the parade, while today, the headline temptation. Dion-Lévesque tells the reader it is held on the last Sunday of October, would have a rounded number, 4,700, and of how he struggles with the pleasures of which could fall from October 25 to October the exact number would be found in the Summer, as stated in the twelfth line: « Al- 31. Pope Pius XI instituted the feast in an body of the text of the report itself.) The cools des jours, et absinthes des nuits, » encyclical issued on December 11, 1925, report included illustrations of the political which is in English: “Alcohol in the day, and entitled “Quas primas,” and the feast day signs that were carried in the parade, such absinthe at night.” In the seventeenth and was first held in October 1926. The Gospel as: “Organized Labor Speaks Humanity’s eighteenth lines of the poem, he addresses reading is from John 18:33-37, when Christ Cause.” After the parade, there were outdoor Summer as the source of his temptations: was before Pilate and He declares to Pilate: social activities, such as baseball games and « Été! Tu chasses de ma maison/ La foi qui “Regnum meum non est de hoc mundo,” picnics, sponsored by the same labor unions s’obstine à demeurer raison. » A translation which means in English: “My Kingdom is that had organized the parade. On the same of the quote is: “Summer! You hunt from not of this world.” Labor Day in the same city, but in the Parker my house/ The faith with persists in dwelling During the Summer and the Fall, House, La Société Historique Franco-Amér- [with] reason.” whether in the Sundays in Ordinary Time, icaine was formed when J. Henri Guillet of or Sundays after Pentecost, there are only Lowell, Mass., was elected President of the Bastille Day – July 14 two holy days of obligation – the Feast of organization, along with eight other men to the Assumption of Mary on August 15 and eight other offices, as written by Antoine the Feast of All Saints on November 1. Cu- Clement in his “Historique,” which is found riously, there are no poems, nor references in in the 878-page book, Les Quarante Ans de the prose of either holy day of obligation in la Société Historique Franco-Américaine, the nine volumes of the Anthologie, which is 1899-1939. Despite the significance of especially odd for the Assumption of Mary, Labor Day to the foundation of La Société since it is the national holiday for the Aca- Historique Franco-Américaine, Antoine dians. Rather, Catholic holy days which are Clement did not mention the organization not holy days of obligation are listed, such was formed on the holiday. as the Feast of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus (October 3), and All Souls’ Day (November The Franco-American Authors 2), and the Feast of St. Catherine (November The Season of Summer – 25). Moreover, secular holidays are more June 21 to September 22 prominent, Bastille Day (July 14), Labor Day (First Monday of September), Armistice Day or Veterans’ Day (November 11), and Eugène Brault (1871-1936) wrote a Thanksgiving (Fourth Thursday of Novem- one-act play entitled “J.P. Marat : Assassiné ber). The season of Fall, which begins on le 13 juillet, 1793, par Charlotte Corday” the Autumnal Equinox on September 22, and which is found on pages 18 to 26 in volume ends with the Winter Solstice on December three of the Anthologie. The Cercle National 21, has the most poems of the four seasons in Dramatique first performed the play on Feb- the Anthologie, a total of eight, and the likely ruary 17, 1897 in Woonsocket, R.I. The text reason that Fall is the most colorful season of the play was formerly published in 1899 of the year in New England, when the leaves in a book of poetry entitled Amicis by Brault, on the trees become an array of colors. but under his nom de plume of Jean Gaston, The significance of Labor Day in as cited in the biography of Eugène Brault the history of Franco-Americans has been and the bibliography of the said volume. The effectively ignored, largely because the Rosaire Dion-Lévesque (1900-1974) (Continued on page 34) 33 Le Forum (A (Not So) Brief Guide to Celebrate published his novel, Jeanne la fileuse, in Summer and Fall with Books Published by 1878 in Fall River, Massachusetts, and only the NMDC of Franco-American Literature four years after the Granite Mill Fire in Fall and Culture continued from page 33) River of September 19, 1874, which is the play is listed under Bastille Day because it is subject of chapter nine of the novel, entitled: set on the eve of the French holiday, but it is “L’Incendie de ‘Granite Mill,’” found on clear that the play was written by a faithful pages 168 to 175 in the complete publica- Catholic who did not share the goals of the tion of the novel by the NMDC, and which French Revolution. J.P. Marat is portrayed is summarized as an editorial gloss on page as a murderous villain who declares himself 44 in volume one of the Anthologie. The an enemy of the Roman Catholic Church. reader will note that that Beaugrand quoted In contrast, Charlotte Corday declares her- from a report about the fire that was first self, in the final lines of the play, a heroine published in his own newspaper, L’Echo du who saved the people of France, just as the Canada, as found on pages 169 to 175 of the Emma Dumas, (1857-1926), first heroine Judith of the Old Testament saved novel. The apparent love-interest of Jeanne published her novel, Mirbah, in serial form the Jewish people, by killing the Babylonian Girard, the heroine of the novel, is Michel through La Justice of Holyoke, Massachu- General Holofernes, while he slept in his Dupuis, who is killed in the fire while trying setts, from 1910 to 1912. Ernest Guillet tent. (It should be noted that the Book of to save the lives of his fellow workers. The revealed in his doctoral dissertation, French Judith is found in the Catholic Bible, but not tragedy of the fire was national news, for the Ethnic Literature and Culture in an Ameri- in the vast majority of Protestant translations Boston Daily Globe, published the headline can City: Holyoke, Massachusetts (Univer- of the Bible.) The entire play is written on page one on September 20, 1874 that: “A sity of Massachusetts, 1979), that Emma in rhyming couplets, even the dialogue Shocking Calamity: A Woolen Mill Burned Dumas paid Joseph Lussier, the Editor of between Charlotte Corday and J.P. Marat. and Forty Lives Lost.” The same day, the La Justice, to publish the installments of her Chicago Daily Tribune printed the headline: novel. Guillet also revealed that in August Labor Day – The First Monday “Sad Calamity. Burning of Large Cotton 1949, Joseph Lussier wrote a letter to Dr. of September Mill in Fall River, Mass.: Forty Young Girls Gabriel Nadeau, in which he stated how he Part One – The Novels Lose Their Lives and Eighty More or Less regretted the deal, because he though her Injured.” The Hartford Daily Courant also novel was an inferior piece of writing, which It is significant that the first Fran- reported on the tragedy, and published an is found on page 287 of the dissertation. co-American novel is about labor, and it is editorial about the verdict of the inquest: Guillet examined Mirbah as an attempt at also significant that the central character is “… The mill was well-equipped with fire literature within a well-established ethnic a woman, Jeanne Girard, who is Jeanne la escapes and appliances for extinguishing community in the City of Holyoke, as found fileuse, or in English, Joan the Textile Work- [the] flames, except for the sixth story. As on pages 286 to 305, but he did not examine er. The primary reason French-Canadians a preventative of further disasters, it is rec- the theme of labor in the novel. The labor emigrated from Canada to the New England ommended that mills should be so arranged of teachers is found in chapter six, as found States is for jobs where they would get paid that an alarm sounded in one portion shall in the title: « Rendre le peuple meilleur – for their labor. Each of the three novels be repeated in all other apartments. This is Religion, Science, Liberté, Progrès (Devise could be considered as examples of the so- the substance of the verdict.” The editor de l’École Normale à Québec). » A trans- cial problem novel, for in each, the heroine of the Hartford Daily Courant advocated lation of the title is: “To Render the People struggles in a meager existence at a mill, for practice fire-drills periodically in the Better - Religion, Science, Liberty, Progress and the reader is meant to feel sympathy for textile mills, for they: “… would teach the (Motto of the Normal School in Quebec).” the heroine, and anger on how the capitalist women, and the men too, not to lose their Chapter six is found on pages 124 to 162 in system has constrained the heroine through heads, […] and to know just what should be the complete edition of the novel published economic hardship. done.” The final sentence of the editorial by the NMDC, and summarized as an ed- implied that a majority of the laborers in itorial gloss on page 155 in volume four the mills were women and children, which of the Anthologie. It should be noted that was another reason for the fire-drills: “It is Emma Dumas herself was a teacher. Chapter equally desirable where women and children eleven does not have a title, but opens with are employed, for more than half of such a quote: « L’Opulence, enfant du Labeur, employees would [otherwise] be unable doit, fière de son origine, forcer l’écrivain in the usual excitement [better known as d’en parler. » A translation of the quote is: panic] attending a fire to make use of the “Wealth, the child of Labor, should, proud of ordinary means of escape.” (“The Fall River its origin, force the writer to speak about it.” Verdict,” Hartford Daily Courant, October Dumas did not give a citation to her opening 5, 1874, page 2.) quote, but it sounds like a catch-phrase from

the labor movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The opening scene of chapter eleven takes place in the William Skinner Honoré Beaugrand, (1848-1906), (Continued on page 35) 34 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (A (Not So) Brief Guide to Celebrate Waste in grandmother’s kitchen/Rien n’était and the beginning of the school year. The Summer and Fall with Books Published by gaspille dans la cuisine de ma grand-mère, first four lines of the first verse set the tone the NMDC of Franco-American Literature which addressed the more common prob- of the song: « Chantons ensemble, amis and Culture continued from page 34) lems of sore throat, colds, fever, diarrhea, grévistes, La bonne chanson du métier! upset stomach, bruises and cuts, mumps, Ils vivent gras, capitalistes, Aux dépens de and Sons Silk Manufacturing Company and the preventative called the Yearly Vi- pauvre ouvrier! » The translation of the text in Holyoke. Chapter eleven is found on tamin, which consisted of “a large dose of is: “Sing together, fellow strikers, the good pages 228 to 237 of the complete version ‘sulfur molasses.’” Unlike the lost-love of song of trade! The live fat, the capitalists, of the novel by the NMDC, and redacted to Jeanne Girard in Jeanne la fileuse, where the to the detriment of the poor worker!” six pages, as found on pages 198 to 204 in beloved dies in a fire, Canuck has a fairy- volume four of the Anthologie. tale ending for Vic Labranche, who ends the novel, married, and about to travel on a honeymoon to South America. Camille Lessard-Bissonnette is the subject of a doctoral dissertation which was published as a book in 1998, entitled Camille Lessard-Bissonnette: The Quiet Revolution of French-Canadian Immigrants in New England by Janet L. Schideler (Peter Land Publishing, Inc.: New York, 1998, 239 pages). In 2006, Canuck was translated into English by Sue Huseman and Sylvie Char- ron, and published in the book, Canuck and Camille Lessard-Bissonnette, Other Stories, edited by Rhea Côté Robbins (1883-1970), initially published her novel, (Rheta Press: Brewer, Maine, 2006, 277 Dr. Joseph Amédéé Girouard (1865- Canuck, in serial form in 1938, and later pages). 1938) wrote a poem entitled « Le travail de in the same year, in book form. In the first Part Two – The Poetry and Songs l’enfance, » which is found on pages 43 to chapter, entitled: « La vie du moulin, » which 44 of volume four of the Anthologie, and translates as: “Life in the Mills,” we, the it was previously published in his book of readership, are taken into the harsh existence poetry, Au fil de la vie. Recueil de poésies of the Labranche family, who were forced to (Lewiston, Maine, 1909, 150 pages), as move from their farm in Quebec to a squalid noted in the bibliography section of the apartment in Lowell, Massachusetts, in order volume. It is written in nine quintets with a to work twelve hours a day in the textile rhyme scheme of abaab, and the title of the mills. The central character of the novel is poem translates into English as “The Labor the teenage daughter of the Labranche fam- of Childhood,” and the poem itself describes ily, Victoria Labranche, whose nickname is the cruelty of child labor in the factory. Also Vic. The opening chapter is found on pages in volume four of the Anthologie, on pages one to twelve in the complete version of the 47 and 48, is the poem entitled « La chanson novel that was published by the NMDC, and des ouvrières » by Dr. Girouard, which is also complete on pages 165 to 176 in volume written in seven octets, with a rhyme scheme eight of the Anthologie. In contrast to first Charles R. Daoust (1865-1924), a of abbacddc. The title of the poem, which chapter in the mill city, chapter nine of Ca- reporter and an editor of several Fran- in English is: “The Song of the Working nuck, entitled « Le Père l’Allumette, » which co-American newspapers over the course of Women,” but since the feminine noun is means in English: “Father Matchstick,” his career, wrote the lyrics to a song entitled: not age specific, it could also be translated takes place on the family farm in Quebec, « La chanson de la grève, » which means as: “The Song of the Working Girls.” The where the local priest would aid the health in English: “The Strike Song,” which is image of song is reiterated in the third octet, of the people and their livestock with herbal found on pages 185 to 186 in volume three where the metaphor of birds in the trees, and folk remedies, which are found on pages of the Anthologie. The melody of the song sing while they work, is introduced into the 79 to 81 of the complete version of the novel, is taken from the song: « Sur le grand mât poem. The poem is loaded with irony, for and which is omitted in volume eight of the d’une corvette. » Daoust wrote the lyrics in the speakers of the poem are young girls in Anthologie. One can question the remedies 1903 and dedicated them to his friend Alfred the textile mill, as identified in the first octet, that were supposed to cure rheumatism, Daigle, the former President of the Weavers’ and they sing while at work, for they know diabetes, jaundice, hardening of the arteries, Union in Lowell. The song demonstrates that they cannot cry, otherwise they would weak lungs, kidney disease, dropsy, blocked the original meaning of Labor Day, when not be able to see their looms, as said in the intestines, pleurisy, diarrhea, neuralgia, laborers demonstrated their significance in sixth octet. The penance of work is stated in stomach ulcers, and abscesses, but Betty A. society with parades, unlike the marketed the last octet, which echoes God’s curse of Lausier Lindsay wrote about home cures celebration of Labor Day of today, which is toil onto Adam when he was expelled from on page 23 in her book, Nothing Went to associated with picnics, family cook-outs, (Continued on page 36) 35 Le Forum (A (Not So) Brief Guide to Celebrate poem into English is: “The Song of the Summer and Fall with Books Published by Worker,” or, since the second noun is mas- the NMDC of Franco-American Literature culine,: “The Song of the Working Man.” In and Culture continued from page 35) a simple glance of the text, it has the form of the lyrics of a song, with a refrain, but neither Eden, as found in Genesis 3:17-19: « Ne publication has a melody for the lyrics to the trouvons-nous pas que partout, Le travail est song, either written as a score, or identified la loi divine? » A translation of the quote is: as the melody from another song. Each of “Do we not find, above all, work is divine the four verses are written in octets, with a law?” Here again is another instance of rhyme scheme of ababcdcd, and the refrain irony, for God cursed Adam, symbolic of is a quatrain of efef. The song extols the all men, with the harshness of work, and not virtues of work, which is demonstrated in girls, while in the modern age contemporary “The emblem of the Association Canado- the refrain: « Du fainéant le vieux sceptre to Dr. Girouard, it is the girls who toil in the Américaine (ACA) in Manchester, N.H. One se brise/ De l’exploiteur abolissons l’emploi. textile mills. James Myall wrote an excellent can see within the crest images of the flag of Gloire au travail! Honte à qui le méprise/ article about the two poems by Dr. Girouard the Province of Quebec, the American eagle, Ou se soustrait à sa divine loi! » A trans- in his article entitled: “Poetry from the Lew- a bundle of arrows with an arm welding lation of the quote is: “Of the idler, the old iston Mills of 1909,” which was published a hammer, and two hands interlocked scepter breaks itself/ Of the exploiter, we in the Bangor Daily News on Sunday, Sep- in a handshake. Below the crest is the abolish the job./ Glory to work! Shame to tember 3, 2017, the day before Labor Day motto of the ACA: “Religion, Patriotisme, those who despise it, or to those who elude in 2017. Both poems are published in the Fraternité.” The image is taken from the his divine law!” Notice the now forgotten original French and in English translation, back cover of the 180-page book by Gérald catch phrase that equated work with divine but it should be noted that the poem « La Robert, Musée de L’Association Canado- law is written positively by Tremblay, and chanson des ouvrières, » is translated as Américaine, published by the ACA in 1987. ironically by Girouard. “The Song of the Drones,” in Myall’s article, section is about religion, the second is about which is also accurate, for « ouvrières » can Part Three – The Sermon patriotism, and the third is about fraternity. mean worker bees. The two poems by Dr. Of course, the religion is Catholicism, the Girouard demonstrate a greater depth to his patriotism is patriotism for the United States poetry than the one sentence description by of America, and fraternity is the respect and Pierre Anctil in his book A Franco-American willingness to help others, as taught by Jesus Bibliography: New England, where on page Christ, and therefore, a basic teaching of the 42, Girouard’s book of poetry is described Catholic Church. as: “Poetry by a Franco-American doctor The sermon by Rev. Beaudet is a study who wrote as an outlet from the weariness on how Catholic priests often deal with of long hours of work.” secular holidays, by both acknowledging them, and side-stepping them. Rev. Beaudet acknowledged Labor Day by the very act of giving the sermon on Labor Day, but he side- stepped the secular and political meaning of Rev. Henri Beaudet (1870-1930) of the holiday, with the opening quote: “Quarite the Diocese of Manchester, New Hamp- primum regnum Dei,” which means in En- shire, gave a sermon on Labor Day, 1913, glish: “Seek Ye first the Kingdom of God,” for the tenth congress of the Association from Matthew 6:33 In the regular set of Canado-Américaine, abbreviated as the readings for the liturgical calendar of Sunday ACA, a fraternal insurance company run by readings, the quoted Gospel passage is read and for Franco-Americans, and which was on the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost, established in 1896 in Manchester, N.H. three weeks earlier than the readings that Rev. Beaudet gave the sermon on Monday, occurred the day before on Sunday, Au- September 1, 1913 in St. Mary’s Church in gust 31, 1913, which was the Seventeenth Manchester, N.H., and the title of the ser- Sunday after Pentecost. The entire Gospel Rémi Tremblay, (1847-1926), wrote a mon is the same as the motto found on the passage for the Fourteenth Sunday after song entitled « La chant de l’ouvrier, » which crest of the ACA: “Religion, Patriotisme, Pentecost is Matthew 6:24-33, while the is found on pages 282 to 283 of volume one Fraternité,” and the sermon is found on Gospel passage for the Seventeenth Sunday of the Anthologie. The bibliography section pages 354 to 366 in volume five of the An- after Pentecost is Matthew 22:34-46. The of volume one of the Anthologie does not thologie. The structure of the sermon opens only time the word “travail” or any of its clearly identify the original publication of with a quote in Latin from the Gospel of St. cognates appear in the entire sermon is found the poem, but it was formerly published in Matthew, which is immediately translated in the first section of the sermon, which has the book Boutades et rêveries (Fall River, into French, following by an introduction, religion as its main topic, and the passage Massachusetts, 1893, 320 pages), on pages followed by three sections, each subject tak- is found on page 356 of volume five of the 277 to 282. A translation of the title of the en from the motto of the ACA, for the first (Continued on page 37) 36 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (A (Not So) Brief Guide to Celebrate ab ab cd cd ef ef. “Automne” is found on composed of eight quatrains with a rhyme Summer and Fall with Books Published by page 180, and it is composed in 24 lines of scheme of abab, and a concluding sestet with the NMDC of Franco-American Literature free verse, arranged as a quatrain, an octet, a a rhyme scheme of ababcc. and Culture continued from page 36) quintet, and a triplet, all of irregular length, Anthologie. The entire sentence in French and without a rhyme scheme. Part Two – The Short Story is: « En d’autres termes, notre appel à l’ordre surnaturel nous fait un devoir de travailleur, Rosaire Dion-Lévesque wrote a de- d’abord et avant tout, à acquérir le plus scriptive mood-piece in four pages of prose possible de vérités religieuses et à pénétrer about an evening in the Fall, entitled: “Soir toujours plus profondément dans la sphère d’automne,” which is found on pages 302 to sublime au sein de laquelle Dieu habite. » A 305 in volume nine of the Anthologie. translation of the quote is: “In other words, our call to supernatural order makes us a Feast of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus – duty to be workmen, first and above all, to October 3 acquire the most possible of religious truths and to penetrate always most deeply into Charles R. Daoust wrote a poem en- the sublime sphere in the breast where God titled “La rosière celeste,” which is found resides.” Notice how Rev. Beaudet used the on pages 187 to 188 of volume three of the word “travailleur,” “workman” in English, Anthologie. It was previously published in within the context of working to find reli- Dr. Joseph-Hormisdas Roy (1865- his book of poetry, Au Seuil du Crépuscule gious truths, which is ultimately connected 1931) wrote two poems about Fall which (Shawinigan Falls, Quebec, 1924). It is an to the quotation: “Quarite primum regnum are found in volume three of the Anthologie. acrostic poem of 34 lines with a shifting Dei,” “Seek Ye first the Kingdom of God,” “Voix d’automne” is found on pages 210 to rhyme scheme that spells the name: “Bien- as the ultimate objective in life. 211, and it is composed of seven quatrains heurse Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus,” which Rev. Henri Beaudet published 24 with a rhyme scheme of abba. “Pensées translates into English as: “Blessed Theresa books and monographs from 1903 to 1929 d’automne” is found on pages 212 to 214, of the Child Jesus.” The first nineteen lines under his nom de plume, Henri d’Arles, as and it is divided into two sections, the first have a rhyme scheme of abab, and the last listed in his biography on pages 277 to 278 section is composed of nine quatrains with ends with an “a” rhyme since the set of lines in volume five of the Anthologie. In 1907, a rhyme scheme of abab, and the second is an odd number. The next two lines, the he became a member of the Academie section is composed of five stanzas of “de,” are a couplet. The next eight lines française, and in 1922, he won the Richelieu varying lengths – a quintet (abaab), a sestet have a rhyme scheme of abab cdcd, and the Award from the Academie française for (ccdeed), an eleven-line stanza that could be concluding five lines are a quintet of aabba. his three-volume history: Acadie: Recon- considered a combined quintet (abaab) and The subject of the poem is Thérèse Martin stitution d’un chapitre perdu de l’histoire sestet (ccddee), then a quatrain (abab), and of Alençon, France, who entered a Carmelite d’Amérique. a sestet (abaaba). The eleven-line stanza Order of Nuns in Lisieux, France at the age The Season of Fall – is not a misprint in volume three of the of fifteen. In her religious life, she took the September 22 to December 21 Anthologie, for it is found on page four of name of Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus, which in Part One – The Poetry the original publication of Voix étranges by English is Theresa of the Child Jesus, and J.H. Roy (Lowell, Mass.,: L’Etoile et Cie, she died at the age of 24 in 1897. She was Rosaire Dion-Lévesque wrote five 1902), 206 pages. beatified in 1923, hence the title of “Bien- poems about the season of Fall, all of which heurese,” or “Blessed,” before her name are found in volume nine of the Anthologie. in the poem, but Charles R. Daoust, who “Paysage autumnal” is found on page 176, died on November 17, 1924, did not live and it is composed of fifteen lines with a to see her canonized as a saint on May 17, rhyme scheme of abba cddc eff gee f, as 1925 by Pope Pius XI. Although she died if it were a sonnet with an additional line. on September 30, 1897, her feast day is on After the title is a one sentence quote from October 3. The poem is dedicated to Irene an uncited text by André Dumas. “Vent Farley who advocated for the canonization d’automne…” is found on page 177, and it of Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus. Marcelle Y. is composed of four quatrains with a rhyme Chenard, Ph.D., published an essay about scheme of abab. Notice that the title has an Irene Farley through the French Institute at ellipse. “Spleen d’automne” is found on Assumption College in Worcester, Mass., page 178, and it is a sonnet with a rhyme entitled: “Irene Farley, a Franco-American scheme of abab abab cdc cdc. After the title lay missionary, including a descriptive of the poem is a quote of four lines from an study of the ‘Missionary Rosebuds of Saint uncited work by the French poet Francis Dr. Philippe Sainte-Marie (1875- Therese’ – Origin and Development (1922- Jammes (1868-1938). “Chant d’automne” 1931) wrote a poem about Fall, entitled 1988),” which is found in the book: Religion is found on page 179, and it is composed of “Automne,” and it is found on pages 251 to Catholique et Appartence Franco-Améric- six sets of couplets, with a rhyme scheme of 252 in volume six of the Anthologie. It is (Continued on page 38) 37 Le Forum (A (Not So) Brief Guide to Celebrate hippie culture was headed….” He further with straight blond hair. She saw me, and Summer and Fall with Books Published by explained that by the Summer of 1967: “… with her left hand, she reached out to give the NMDC of Franco-American Literature many people joined the hippie life for sex, me a daisy, that was placed in a green-glass and Culture continued from page 37) drugs and rock and roll alone, [while] ignor- Seven-Up bottle. I reached out the grab it, ing social and political issues. True hippies but my right arm was not long enough. I aine/ Franco-Americans and Religion: Im- felt the new arrivals had missed the point [of tried again, and my father inched the car pact and Influence, edited by Claire Quintal, the cultural and political movement.]” In the forward. The father in the other car, inched Ph.D., 1993, 202 pages. final sentence of his own definition of the his car forward, and again, I tried to get the Rosaire Dion-Lévesque wrote a poem event, McCleary identified himself as among gift, but I could not reach it. (I should note entitled « Petite tapisserie pour Thérèse de the True Hippies, and their ideology, for he here that I was resting my body on the door Lisieux, » which is found on pages 138 wrote: “I agree; yet anyone who was around at the hip, while I held on the frame of the to 139 in volume nine of the Anthologie. for the rest of the decade or the 1970s knows door with my left hand, a rather dangerous The translation of the title of the poem into that the hippie did not die in October 1967.” act that was not illegal then, for there were English is: “A little tapestry for Theresa of Just one proof of his last statement is found no safety-belt laws at the time.) A third time, Lisieux.” The poem is dedicated to Mère on pages 571 to 572, under his entry for I almost was able to grab the bottle, but the Marie de la Miséricorde, who is not further the rock concert of Woodstock, which was light apparently had changed, and my father identified by Dion-Lévesque. It is written billed as: “Three Days of Peace and Music,” stepped on the gas, and off we went. I let in 22 lines of free verse, with instances of and occurred on August 15 to 17, 1969 on out an “Aww man!!,” as I cast myself into rhyme, couplets in lines five and six, nine Max Yasgur’s 600-acre farm just outside of the back seat, and my father, a total square, and ten, and fifteen and sixteen, with a triplet Woodstock, New York. The three-day rock sternly remarked to me: “Albert, you don’t in lines seventeen to nineteen. St. Theresa of concert could be considered an ephemeral want that.” I tried to explain to my father the Child Jesus is often depicted as holding city, for attendance peaked at an estimated what transpired, but the point was moot. roses with a crucifix of Jesus Christ, and 400,000 people. The concert film, Wood- Unlike my innocent, and perhaps in Catholic lore, she wanted to cast graces stock, directed by Michael Wadleigh, not amusing anecdote of an encounter with to the people of Earth, after her death, like only has nearly three hours of music from the daughter of Hippie parents, there was roses descending from Heaven. In the sec- the concert, but shown aspects of the Hippie one Franco-American author and poet who ond to last line in the poem, Dion-Lévesque Culture, such as the singer Joan Baez noting may have liked to have seen the death of the addressed her as: “The Rose,” but in the on stage that she was pregnant, something Hippie, Rosaire Dion-Lévesque, for he had opening sestet of the poem, he described which middle-class woman at the time did a pejorative view of them, as found in his how she weaved goodness in her life in the not normally discuss in public, as well as poem, « La mort de la maison, » found on monastery: « – Sur la rugueuse toile/ De sa incidental scenes, such as collective naked page 238 in volume nine of the Anthologie. vie monastique, Thérèse tisse/ Sur la trame bathing in a pond, or the brief interview with It is written in 20 lines of free verse, with an de ses instants – / – bleu, rouge et blanc,/ the janitor of the Port-O-San, who remarks to intermittent rhyme scheme of couplets and Bonheur, amour, patience. » A translation the camera that he has one son at the concert, even a triplet. The first two lines of the poem of the quote is: “ – About the rough toil/ Of and another son in Vietnam. set the scene: « La vielle maison se meurt/ her monastic life, / Theresa weaves/ On the From my own experience, I do re- d’une mort lent et gangreneuse…, » which fabric of her moments – / – blue, red and member seeing Hippies on the streets of translates as: “The old house dies away/ a white, /Happiness, love, patience.” Hartford, Connecticut in the early 1970s, slow and gangrenous death….” Lines 12 to and their numbers diminished in 1972, 15, a quatrain, have the almost amusing met- The Death of the Hippie – even less in 1974, and effectively gone by aphor, where people are used as a metaphor October 7-9, 1967 1976. I remember one incident of innocent to describe plants: « Les bois avoisinants/ goodwill, which was an aspect of Hippie on envahi jardins et gazon;/ Les haies jadis For those readers of Le Forum who Culture, that occurred one Summer’s early bien taillées/ Sont des ‘hippies’ sauvages, wish to celebrate, at least in thought, the an- evening when I was around ten years old, in échevelés. » A translation of the quote is: niversary of an unofficial, whether religious 1974 or 1975. I was sitting in the backseat “The neighboring woods/ have over-run the or secular, holiday that itself was organized on the passenger’s side of our 1966 Plym- gardens and the grass;/ The hedges formerly as a mock holiday, should remember the outh Fury III, my father behind the steering were well-cut/ Are [now] some ‘hippies’ mock funeral ceremony of the Death of the wheel, and my mother in the passenger’s wild, disheveled.” The poem was previously Hippie, which was celebrated on the cited side of the front, and we were waiting at published in the October 6, 1970 issue of dates, in the epicenter of Hippie Culture, in the light, northbound on Main Street in the periodical, L’information Médicale et the Haight-Ashbury section of San Francis- Hartford, not far from the Butler-McCook Paramédicale, in Montreal, Canada, as cited co, California. John Bassett McCleary, in Homestead. A dingy car in the right-hand on page 361 of the bibliography in volume his 704-page book, The Hippie Dictionary; lane pulled-up, but diagonally in back of nine of the Anthologie. A Cultural Encyclopedia (and Phraseicon) our car. It was driven by a man and woman of the 1960s and the 1970s (Ten Speed Press: couple, wearing some Hippie clothes, with All Souls’ Day – November 2 Berkeley, Cal., 2004), explained the purpose the man in the driver’s seat, and in the back of the event, in his words on page 126: “[It seat was apparently their daughter, sitting One of curiosities of the Anthologie was] Performed by hippies who were dis- on the driver’s side, with the window rolled is that there are no poems about All Saints’ illusioned with the direction in which the down. She also was about ten years old, (Continued on page 39) 38 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (A (Not So) Brief Guide to Celebrate afterlife go to Hell, also a point of Catholic “Eternal rest give to them, O Lord, and let Summer and Fall with Books Published by teaching. For the readers of Le Forum, it perpetual light shine upon them.” After the the NMDC of Franco-American Literature should be noted that the way All Souls’ Day Epistle, from First Corinthians 15:51-57, is and Culture continued from page 38) is celebrated in the Catholic Church today, an additional prayer called a sequence, with with the Novus Ordo Rite, is quite different the well-known first words: “Dies irae, dies Day, November 1, which is a holy day of than when it was celebrated in the Catholic illa, solvet saeculm in favilla, teste David obligation in the Catholic Church, but there Church in 1963 and earlier, a rite which is cum Sibylla.” The translation of the quote are three poems in the Anthologie about now known as the Extraordinary Form of the is: “The day of wrath, that dreadful day, All Souls’ Day, November 2, which is not Mass, or in Latin, Missa Formae Extraordi- shall all the world in ashes lay, as David a holy day of obligation. A possible reason nariae. When Rémi Tremblay and Rosaire and Sibyl say.” After the sequence is the for the three poems by the two poets is that Dion-Lévesque wrote their poems about All reading of the Gospel, from John 5:25-29. both men were faithful Catholic laymen Souls’ Day, the mass that they prayed was The most famous music that was composed who believed that the prayers by the living what is now called the Missa Formae Ex- for a Requiem Mass, or the mass on All can aid the souls in Purgatory, the souls of traordinariae, and in the rite, the priest wears Souls’ Day, is the Requiem in D-minor, K. good people who are in a state of penance black vestments, there is black drapery on 626 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which due their venial sins with they carried with the altar, and just outside of the sanctuary is he composed in the year of his own death, them into the afterlife. The objective of the a false coffin, called a catafalque, which is 1791, and possibly the most famous piece mass on All Souls’ Day is to pray for the draped in black cloth. The opening prayer, within it, is his “Dies Irae.” The mass for souls in Purgatory, in order to help them get the introit, are the well-known words: All Souls’ Day in the current Novus Ordo out of Purgatory and into Heaven. The souls “Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et Rite is considerably different then the rite of who carried mortal sins with them into the lux perpetua luceat eis.” The translation is: the Missa Formae Extraordinariae, for the

Requiem Mass, Sacred Heart, New Haven, taken November 3, 2003 “An All Souls’ Day Mass is shown in the photograph taken on the evening of Monday, November 3, 2003, in Sacred Heart Church in New Haven, Conn. The reason the feast day was moved to a Monday is because Sundays commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and so, a day of penance, like All Souls’ Day that fell on a Sunday in 2003, is shifted to the following day. In the group of three men in liturgical robes are: in the center, the priest, Rev. Pecaric, with the deacon to his right, and the subdeacon to his left, whose names I did not record in my photo notebook. To the far right is an altar-server, who would be called an acolyte in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. (I remember his name was Sean, and in 2003, he resided in Middletown, Conn., with his wife and family.) In the lower-right hand corner, apparently near Acolyte Sean, is the catafalque, and three candles on three very tall candlesticks can be seen on the left side of the catafalque. The catafalque is on the central aisle of the church, and the photo does not show the other three very tall candlesticks with candles on them on the right side of the catafalque. The catafalque itself was composed of sixteen to twenty stacked empty cardboard boxes that were used to ship large votive candles, with an embroidered black cloth over them, as shown to me after the mass by one of the prominent members of the St. Gregory Society in New Haven, Bill Riccio, who is not shown in the photograph. The viewer will note the black vestments, and the black drapery in the antependium, which was attached to a wooden frame, and it was salvaged years earlier by Bill Riccio. In the center panel of the antepedium are the letters “I.H.S.,” embroidered in white, but not seen in the photograph, as the subdeacon is blocking the view. After the mass, Bill Riccio took down the antepedium, and in the marble panel below the tabernacle is a relief of Leonardo DaVinci’s Last Supper. Above the tabernacle is a large brass crucifix, and leaning against the purple veil of the tabernacle is the main altar card. To the right of the tabernacle is the missal, and to left of the tabernacle is altar card that has the Final Gospel printed on it. To the foreground, and in the lower-left corner is the pulpit. Behind Acolyte Sean is the altar table, also called the mensa, and atop of it is the chalice, which is covered by a chalice veil, and next to it are the cruets for the water and the wine, both flanked by two candles. In 2009, Sacred Heart Church in New Haven was closed by Archbishop Henry J. Mansell of the Archdiocese of Hartford, and the Extraordinary Form of the Mass was moved to St. Stanislaus Church in New Haven. Photo by Albert J. Marceau, with his Pentax P3 SLR camera.” (Continued on page 40) 39 Le Forum (A (Not So) Brief Guide to Celebrate Armistice Day (1918 to 1953) / of a future liberation from war: « C’est la Summer and Fall with Books Published by Veterans’ Day (since 1954) – France qui chante; Dans la lointain, avec the NMDC of Franco-American Literature November 11 elle chante., » which translates into English and Culture continued from page 39) as: “It is France who sings in the distance, liturgical color is purple for the vestments sing with her.” and the altar linens, the catafalque and the sequence have been eliminated, and readings are from Wisdom 3:1-9, Psalm 23, Romans 5:5-11, and John 6:37-40. Rosaire Dion-Lévesque wrote two poems that can be listed under All Souls’ Day, and both are found in volume nine of the Anthologie. « Interieur d’eglise » is found on page 241, and it is a sonnet, with a rhyme scheme of abba baab ccd dee. After the title of the poem is a quote of two lines from an uncited work by the French-Cana- dian poet Albert Dreux (1888-1949). The final tercet of the poem has a reference to the now forgotten tradition of the catafalque: R.P. Louis-Alphonse Nolin, omi « Et près du chœur paisible, en le jour qui (1849-1936) wrote the lyrics to the song Joseph Arthur Smith (1869-1960) descend,/ Lamé d’un argent vif, en rigide « Immortel espoir : Chant d’Armistice, » wrote a poem entitled: « À Georges Cha- décalque,/ S’estompe le drap noir d’un which is found on page 140 in volume seven rette : L’un des héros du Merrimac, » which sombre catafalque. » A translation of the of the Anthologie. The lyrics are written in is found on pages 66 to 68 in volume three quote is: “And close to the gentle choir, three sets of quintets with a rhyme scheme of the Anthologie. It is written in eleven sets during the during the day falls/ A shaft of of aabab, with the last two lines are effec- of sestets, with a rhyme scheme of aabccb. bright silver, in rigid tracing,/ Fades into the tively a refrain that changes in each of the Joseph Arthur Smith described the poem black sheet of a somber catafalque.” « Le three verses. The music score, which is not as an address in verse which he read at a chapelet de la morte » is found on pages 253 found in the Anthologie, was composed by reception given by the Franco-Americans to 254, and it is 32 lines of free verse, with Rodolphe E. Pepin (1892-1975). Although of Lowell, Massachusetts on Labor Day, an intermittent rhyme scheme. Unlike the the song title translates as: “The Everlast- Monday, September 5, 1898, and it was previous structured poem, Dion-Levesque ing Hope: Song of Armistice,” and it was initially published the next day in L’Etoile, displays some odd theology in his second published in 1935 in a five-page musical as cited on page 259 in the bibliography poem, as express in the tercet on page 253: monograph entitled: Fête Musicale. Respec- of the volume. The planned reception is « En novembre/ Les vivants prient pour teux Hommages au R.P. Louis-G. Bachand, confirmed by a report in the Boston Daily les morts. / Elle, la morte, priait pour les O.M.I., Provincial, Chevalier de la Légion Globe, entitled: “Hero at Home: Gunner vivants. » A translation of the quote is: “In d’Honneur, as cited on page 293 in the Charette Again at Lowell,” (Mon. Sept. 5, November/ The living pray for the dead./ bibliography, the imagery within the song 1898, page four), where one can read in She, Death, prays for the living.” suggests that it was first composed during the final paragraph: “Mr. Charette will be Rémi Tremblay (1847-1926) wrote a the height of World War One, for the first tendered, Monday night, a complimentary poem entitled “Le jour des morts” which is two verses speak of France in desperation, supper by the association Catholique in the found on pages 266 to 267 in volume one and the third verse speaks of the hope of hall of the French American college.” How- of the Anthologie. It is written in 52 lines France in the future, when she is liberated ever, there was a second hero’s reception with a rhyme scheme of ababcdcd et cetera, from her assailants, and she can sing again. on Thursday, September 8, 1898 in Lowell and based upon the rhyme scheme, the form The last two lines of the first verse are: City Hall, where he was greeted by over five of the poem can be interpreted as thirteen « C’est la France qui pleure: Faites-silence, thousand people, as reported in the Boston quatrains which are not denoted by a line et voyez-la pleurer, » which translates as: Daily Globe: “Honored by Citizens: George of space. Also, each of the paired lines are “It is France who cries: Be silent, and see Charette Given Public Reception at Lowell – alternate in length, the first line with thir- her crying.” In the third line of the second 5000 People Shake Hands with Hero,” (Fri. teen syllables, and the second line with six verse, France cries out to Jesus Christ for Sept. 9, 1898, page five). George Charette syllables. The poem itself is a description help: « O Christ, ô roi des Francs, vas-tu was one of eight men who were ordered of All Souls’ Day, November 2, opening nous oublier?, » which translates into En- to scuttle the U.S.S. Merrimac in order to with a description of the season when the glish as: “O Christ, O King of the Franks, block the mouth of Santiago Harbor in Cuba days become increasingly short, and ending art Thou going to forget us?” Then the last during the Spanish-American War, but be- with a description of how the departed souls two lines of the second verse: « C’est la fore the men were able to sail the ship into interact at the mass inside a Catholic church France qui prie: Faites silence, et voyez-la position and scuttle it, it was sunk by the on All Souls’ Day. prier., » which translates into English as: “It Spanish, and the eight men were captured by is France who prays: Be silent, and see her the Spanish on June 2, 1898. The eight men praying.” Then in the third verse, the hope (Continued on page 41) 40 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (A (Not So) Brief Guide to Celebrate on the album, which includes the missing included one recipe for stew, chicken stew, Summer and Fall with Books Published by line in “Le départ du soldat” on page 70 in on page 65 of her cookbook, Nothing Went to the NMDC of Franco-American Literature volume three, were published in the Spring/ Waste in grandmother’s kitchen/Rien n’était and Culture continued from page 40) Printemps 2014 (Vol. 37, No. 1) issue of Le gaspille dans la cuisine de ma grand-mère. were later returned to the United States in an Forum. The astute reader of Le Forum may have exchange of prisoners, and each of the eight noticed that there is not a single reference men received the Medal of Honor. The poem Thanksgiving – The Fourth Thursday to Halloween anywhere in the nine-volumes by Joseph Arthur Smith extols the virtues of of November of the Anthologie, and there are no recipes bravery and heroism of Georges Charette, for candy in Lindsay’s cookbook. It is my without questioning any of the ethical issues The sole reference to the American understanding that Halloween originally was concerning the Spanish-American War. holiday of Thanksgiving by any of the 29 a Protestant mockery of the Catholic belief Joseph Arthur Smith also wrote the Franco-American authors is written by in Purgatory, in the Colonial Period, and lyrics to two songs which are also found in Emma Dumas, in her novel, Mirbah, found into the Early Republic of the U.S., which volume three of the Anthologie, the first is on page 79 in the redacted version in vol- would be understandable that it would not « Le départ du soldat, » on pages 69 to 70, ume four of the Anthologie, and on page have been celebrated in a Catholic culture as and the second is « La prière du soldat, » on 24 of the complete edition of Mirbah, also French Canada. In my recent conversation pages 71 to 72. Eusèbe Champagne (1864- published by the NMDC. The reader should with Lisa Michaud, I joked with her about 1929) composed the music to both songs, note that the Emma Dumas defined the date spruce gum, and giving it to Trick-or-Treat- but the score is not found in the Antholo- of Thanksgiving as celebrated on the last ers for Halloween, and I remember spruce gie. « Le départ du soldat » was published Thursday of November, which was the date gum could be purchased at gift shops, like in 1918, and « La prière du soldat » was it was celebrated in Massachusetts and most the Happy Hour Restaurant and Gift Shop published in 1919, as cited on page 258 of other states before 1942, when President in White River Junction, Vermont that my the bibliography. The two verses of « Le Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress, on parents and I would visit in the 1970s, while départ du soldat » are octets with a rhyme December 26, 1941, legally fixed the holiday en route to our family in Canada. On page scheme of ababbcbc, and the refrain is also to the fourth Thursday of November. The 24, under the heading of “Extra, Extra, an octet with a rhyme scheme of dedefgfg. footnote by Dumas may be an indication that Extra,” Lindsay wrote about spruce gum, The three verses of « La prière du soldat » her intended French-Canadian readership which she and other children, would just are octets with a rhyme scheme of ababc- may have been unfamiliar with the date of take a glob from a spruce tree, and chew it. bcb, and the refrain is also an octet with a the holiday. She noted: “It was bitter to the taste at first, rhyme scheme of dedefgfg. The two songs but as the sap became gummy, the bitterness truly depict the life of a soldier before and Feast of St. Catherine – November 25 disappeared.” I remember chewing it, may- after the war, for in « Le départ du soldat, » be when I was ten or eleven years old, and the unnamed soldier tells his girlfriend, Like the reference to Thanksgiving it definitely had a bitter taste of pine. I did Madelon, not to cry as he goes to war to made by Emma Dumas, she also referenced become accustomed to the bitter pine taste, defend the country, while in « La prière the Feast of St. Catherine on the very same and the individual units of spruce gum did du soldat, » the unnamed soldier greets his pages in both editions of Mirbah. She also lose their bitter taste over time, but I must mother upon his return, telling her that he is defined the feast day in a footnote, which remark that spruce gum was tough to chew, thankful that her prayers to God saved him clarifies that the saint is St. Catherine of for it was almost like a hard candy at first, from death. « La prière du soldat » fulfills Alexandria, who was martyred in 305 and over the course of a couple of days, it the original meaning of Armistice Day, when A.D. in City of Alexandria, Egypt, on the did soften, but it still had a viscosity stronger the war-weary soldier is home, thankful to orders of Emperor Maximus II, and not to than any other chewing gum that I could be alive, which is expressed in the last three be confused with St. Catherine of Siena remember. lines of the refrain: « Ma mère, c’est fait, (1347-1380) whose feast day is April 29. Since Thanksgiving is the day of la victoire est pour nous;/ Les ennemis ont In France, there is the tradition for faithful feasting in the U.S., there are recipes by déposé les armes;/ Remercions le ciel à deux Catholic woman who are unmarried, to pray Lindsay that could add to the holiday, such genoux. » A translation of the quote is: “My for a husband on the Feast of St. Catherine as pumpkin cookies on page 36, potato stuff- mother, it is finished, victory is for us;/ The of Alexandria, while in French Canada, in ing on page 55, Aunt Helen’s turkey stuffing enemies have laid down their arms;/ Let us particular in Montreal, there is the tradition on page 17, and Canadian brown sugar pie thank heaven on two knees.” of girls making taffy on the feast day, called on page 48. Despite her recipe for turkey Long time subscribers to Le Forum St. Catherine’s Taffy. stuffing, Lindsay did not include a recipe for may remember that “Le départ du soldat” cooking a turkey in her cookbook. Also, she was recorded by the Chorale Orion of The Franco-American Foods for Fall included a recipe for pumpkin pie on page Lowell, Massachusetts, and the recording 17, which has the amounts for baking four is available on a long-playing record (LP) Like the Season of Summer, it is pies, but she omitted instructions for cooking entitled: L’Amour C’est Comme La Salade: hard to define what is a Franco-American time and temperature, in both the English La musique de Philias, Eusèbe et Octave food for Fall, and in a conversation with and French sections of the cookbook. Champagne. A review of the album, as Lisa Michaud, the editor of Le Forum, on well as the biographies of the Champagne Tuesday, October 23, 2018, she suggested Brothers, and the lyrics to all ten songs to me, stews. Betty A. Lausier Lindsay (Continued on page 42) 41 Le Forum (A Not-So Brief Guide to Celebrate Summer Coin and Fall with Books Published by the NMDC of Franco-American Literature and Culture des continued from page 40) jeunes... How to Purchase the Books and the LP

The best means to purchase copies PUMPKIN HARVEST AT of the cookbook, Nothing Went to Waste in grandmother’s kitchen/Rien n’était gaspille FARMER ROY’S dans la cuisine de ma grand-mère, as well as any of the nine-volume set, Anthologie de la littérature franco-américaine de la By Virginia L. Sand-Roy (Copyright 2018) Nouvelle-Angleterre, and the LP, L’Amour C’est Comme La Salade: La musique de This year Farmer Roy is blessed with about sharing their blessed harvest with the Philias, Eusèbe et Octave Champagne, is to a huge pumpkin harvest, more than usual. community in this way. On their return to contact the Franco-American book vendor, He feels so blessed that he wants to share the farm, they worked their Farm Stand for a Roger Lacerte, the owner of La Librairie this abundance with all of the children in the couple of hours and prepared for tomorrow’s village. He knows all of their names. There- Populaire, 18 rue Orange, Manchester, NH Farmer’s Market in the village. They fore, one beautiful September afternoon, 03104-6060. His business phone number Farmer Roy and his wife selected a special had many pumpkins left to sell at is (603)-669-3788, and his business e-mail pumpkin for each child in the community their Farm Stand and at the Farmer’s Market. address is: [email protected]. and wrote the child’s name on the pumpkin During the next few days, all of the with black paint. In that way, their names village children visited the Roy Farm Stand could not be missed; they were bold and with their parents, grandparents, aunts, bright on the large uncles, cous- orange pumpkins. ins, pet dogs, Then, on Oc- friends, etc. tober 1st, Farmer They all Roy and his wife bought ev- carefully loaded erything that each personalized Farmer Roy pumpkin in the and his wife back of the old had to sell red farm truck and and they all drove into the vil- came with lage. On the way, BIG smiles their pet raven flew on their faces over and landed on because of the the pile of pump- personalized kins in the back of the truck and went along Halloween pumpkins that the children had for the ride. If you can imagine the image of all received from Farmer Roy and his wife. an old, red farm truck slowly driving down a Everyone in the community showed their country road, with a pile of pumpkins in the gratitude to the Roy Farm with all of their back, topped with a large, lively, black raven, purchases. One blessing brings another. you will surely smile or chuckle. This small village community felt thankful After arriving in the village, Farmer and blessed during this harvest season, es- Roy and his wife dropped off the person- pecially Farmer Roy and his wife. alized pumpkins to the homes of all the children while the children were in school. They wanted the children to find their surprise-personalized pumpkins upon arriving home from school, later that afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Roy were hoping that their surprise-personalized pumpkins would bring a smile to each child in the community (and of course to the parents, grandparents, etc.). By the end of the afternoon, Farmer Roy and his wife were tired, but felt so good (French translation on page 43) 42 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 La Récolte de Citrouille à la Une question Ferme de Roi sans réponse par Par Virginie L. Sand-Roi (Copyright 2018) Grégoire Chabot

Cette année l’agriculteur Roi est ceuse avec la communauté de cette manière. Ça faisait au moins cinq minutes qu’il très chanceux avec une énorme récolte de A leur retour à la ferme, ils ont travaillé regardait le TV. Il avait fini ce qu’il avait à citrouille, plus que d’habitude. En fait, il leur stand de ferme pendant deux heures et faire dans la cuisine, s’était rendu au salon, se sent si chanceux qu’il veut partager cette ont préparé pour le marché des fermiers au et s’était assis dans sa chaise. Il pensait lire abondance avec tous les enfants au village. village demain. Ils avaient encore beaucoup le papier pour montrer qu’il était occupé, Il connaît tous leurs prénoms. Donc, un de citrouilles à vendre à leur stand de ferme qu’il avait des choses importantes à faire. beau jour en septembre, l’agriculteur Roi et et au marché des fermiers. Mais il l’avait tout lu avant le déjeuner. Ça, sa femme ont choisi une citrouille spéciale Pendant les jours suivants, tous les elle le savait et lui aurait posé des questions pour chaque enfant dans la communauté et enfants du village rendaient visite au stand ou fait des commentaires. ont écrit le pré- de ferme Roi avec Comme ça, il resta là à regarder « Judy nom de l’enfant leurs parents, les et Joe » ou « Patti et Pete » ou « Philomène sur la citrouille grands-parents, et Pamphile » … tous ces programmes-là du avec la peinture les tantes, les matin se ressemblaient tellement qu’il avait noire. De cette oncles, les cou- beaucoup de misère à savoir au juste lequel manière, leurs sins, les chiens, il regardait à ce moment-là. Mais il faisait prénoms n’ont les amis, etc. Tout acraire que Patti et Pete (tedben que c’tait pas pu être man- le monde achetait vraiment « Philomène et Pamphile ») était le qués ; ils ont été toutes les choses programme le plus intéressant du monde. Si hardis et brillants que l’agriculteur elle croyait sa comédie, il pourrait peut-être sur les grandes ci- Roi et sa femme s’échapper, s’évader … ne pas avoir à poser trouilles oranges. vendaient et tout de nouveau cette question qu’il détestait Puis, le le monde se por- tellement. premier octobre, tait les grands À vrai dire, c’tait pas la question elle- l’agriculteur Roi et sa femme ont soigneuse- sourires sur le visage à cause des citrouilles même qu’il détestait, mais plutôt tout ce qui ment chargé chaque citrouille personnalisée personnalisées d’Halloween que les en- suivait. La question était simple. Facile. à l’arrière du vieux camion rouge et ont fants avaient reçu de l’agriculteur Roi et sa Neuf petits mots. « Pi, ton ventre, y fait-ti conduit au village. En chemin, leur corbeau femme. Tout le monde dans la communauté encore mal? » Mais ça faisait quatre jours domestiqué a volé dessus et a débarqué sur montrait leur gratitude à la ferme de Roi qu’il la posa. Depuis qu’elle avait annoncé le tas des citrouilles à l’arrière du camion avec leurs achats. Un bienfait apporte un ce mal lundi matin, première affaire, il avait et a fait une promenade. Si vous pouvez autre. Ce petit village sentait reconnais- posé la question au moins cinq ou six fois imaginer l’image du vieux camion rouge sant et chanceux pendant cette saison de par jour. La première fois, il voulait vraiment conduisant lentement à travers champs, avec récolte, particulièrement l’agriculteur Roi savoir si sa chère épouse se portait mieux, un tas des citrouilles à l’arrière, couronné et sa femme. époux soucieux qu’il était. avec un grand corbeau noir et vivant, vous Mais après ça, après avoir passé des sourirez sûrement. heures et des heures (et des heures) à discuter En arrivant au village, l’agriculteur les causes possibles de se mal de ventre et Roi et sa femme livraient les citrouilles per- les histoires de toutes les autres membres de sonnalisées aux maisons de tous des enfants sa famille qui avaient souffertes de la même pendant que les enfants étaient à l’école. maladie, pi qu’est-ce qu’elle devrait faire Ils voulaient les enfants de trouver leurs pour soigner le mal et tedben qu’elle devrait surprise-citrouilles personnalisées après téléphoner sa nièce qui était infirmière dans arrivant chez eux de l’école, après-midi. un gros hôpital à Boston parce qu’elle saurait Monsieur et Madame Roi espéraient que certainement quoi c’est faire, il en pouvait leurs surprise-citrouilles personnalisées ap- plus. Il était ben tanné du mal de ventre et porteraient un sourire à chaque enfant dans des causes et des traitements possibles et la communauté <>. Mais, il ne pouvait pas ne pas poser Par la fin de l’après-midi, l’agriculteur c’t’à maudite question-là. Il savait qu’il au- Roi et sa femme ont été fatigués, mais ils ont rait dû la poser du moment qu’il était entré senti bons en partageant leur récolte chan- (Suite page 44) 43 Le Forum (Une question sans réponse suite de page 43)

au salon … du moment qu’il s’assit sur sa chaise au plus tard. C’était attendu. Le rite s’était établi. Comme dans tous les autres aspects de leurs vies. Cinq minutes plus tard, il savait qu’elle s’impatientait. Il regardait « Betty et Ben » (« Ègline et Elphège? ») mais il savait qu’elle commençait à se tor- tiller un peu et se frotter le ventre. Il savait aussi que ça serait pas long avant qu’à se mette à émettre des p’tits « oof »s ou ben Earl Joseph des « oioioioi » … et que s’il ne posait pas But not Earl, he got caught in the act, and his la sacré question, ses plaintes deviendraient à hand was slapped by his mother. Earl, who de plus en plus fortes et insistantes jusqu’ ce que … Fernald had a studder wanted to know why the pet (meaning my mother) could get away with Il souhaitait vivement qu’à un moment é it. It was a long time before anyone got any de sa vie, il eut trouv une passion pour le (1924-1933) bricolage. Un bricoleur peut toujours s’ex- by Debbie Roberge biscuits, Even though Earl had a studder he could sing and whistle and he used to do it cuser en disant qu’il travaille sur un projet important qu’il doit absolument compléter. Christmas 1932, like most families at lunchtime for the women at the Spinning Mill next door to where they lived and he Il peut ensuite s’exiler dans son atelier pour of that time period gifts were few and des heures, ou des jours même, sans se faire oftentimes for some none at all. Well that would have my mother pass the hat. My mother, Earl and their friend Elwin Thibeau chanter des bêtises. Mais il n’avait jamais year only the younger children were given appris à scier des planches ou à clouer deux the opportunity to pick out two items that loved to go sliding, but living on the island in Skowhegan the best place to go was across planches ensemble ou à mesurer n’importe they wanted for Christmas. The parents quoi correctement. would pick out one, Earl's two choices were the river to a hill on Turner Avenue. It wasn't unusual for them to be gone for most of the Même chose pour les autos et la chasse a cowboy suit or a sled. Well his birthday et la pêche et tous les autres passe-temps qui Lapierre Family was in March so the cowboy suit could wait day playing with the neighborhood kids. My mother and Earl were very close sont tellement utiles quand les maris veulent till then, the sled he could use more in the éviter de parler à leurs épouses. Le pauvre winter not only for play time but in using and when they could their older sister Helen By Daniel Lapierre would also come along if she didn't have serait parti à la pêche avec un 12 gauge pi à for odd jobs. chasse avec une main pleine de hameçons et Translator & Publisher My maternal grandfather Charles chores to do at home. When Helen couldn't tag along Earl was in charge and Betty never se serait demandé pourquoi il avait tant de William Fernald worked at a mill that made misère à changes les spark plugs de sa char croquet sets. One day his boss came up to disobeyed Earl not until that day. She never refused anything he asked of her. She went avec le nouveau pop-up toaster qu’il avait him and said he needed him to work in the acheté exprès pour ça. sawmill for a man who didn't show up for every where with him and he never refused her or made her stay behind when he went La conversation entre Suzy et Sam work. Charles said he didn't want to work on (« Andromaque et Adelard? ») à la télé that machine because he didn't really know some where. This would be the one and only day she would ever refuse him. It devint de moins en moins intelligible. Les that much about it. Also the guy absent êlèrent pour former un was getting dark and they knew they had to images s’entrem that day had said that there was something brouillard head home Earl wanted to take a shortcut. bleuâtre. Il se mit à suer. Il se wrong with the machine. The boss told him sentit très, très mal. Et il entendit une voix he either worked the machine or went home. His shortcut involved sliding down the hill and across the river ice straight to where à la fois connue, à la fois de Mars poser la So Charles ran the machine, and a log came question: « Pi, ton ventre, y fait-ti encore off hitting him in the stomach almost killing they lived and be home in no time. Betty said no she was too scared so Elwin said he mal? » him. He was rushed to the hospital where he spent a long time. After the accident he would walk her home. Betty made it home had cashed in his life insurance policy, the and Earl's shortcut that day never made it family needing the money but he took out past going down the hill. At the bottom of 25 cent policies on the three youngest kids the hill, he went right through a hole in the - Betty, Bobbie and Earl. He had only paid ice. When his sled hit a rock or abutment his one month on the policies when Earl died. body slid off with his boot strings catching The day was the 8th of January 1933 in the front of the sled, otherwise his body my maternal grandmother Iva Bernice would never have been found. (Haycock) Fernald had just made a big Earl had been missing for four days pan of biscuits. My mother, Beatrice Ella and my grandmother was beside herself, the (Fernald) Quirion was able to sneak out of authorities were searching everywhere with the house with one without getting caught. (Continued on page 45) 44 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (Earl Joseph Fernald continued from page 44) no luck. So she asked my grandfather to get came up with Earl's body. My grandfather someone (they had no car) to take him to see identified him through his face. He tried to a physic she had about in nearby Madison. pay the diver but the diver had heard about My grandfather didn't believe in them but the hardships the family had undergone if it helped his wife he would do it. Off he with my grandfather getting hurt and all and went and the physic knew my grandfather refused any payment. The Town of Skow- didn't believe in her when he walked in but hegan took up a collection for the family she told him where he could find his son in and the owner of Stern's provided the family the river. When he got back home he told with clothing for Earl to be buried in. Earl the police what the physic had said and they loved flowers and different people sent them told him there was a diver from Lewiston including my great great grandmother who who was known to go in icy waters. They sent roses one for every year of Earl's life. went to see him but the man was sick, but the When Iva counted them and saw that their diver's son had just graduated from diving was eight it set her off in hysterics and all school and when he heard about the situation the flowers were ordered out of the house. said he couldn't do it, he didn't want his first When the funeral came, all the flow- Earl's casket was brought to the tomb after body to be that of a child. My grandfather ers that had been hidden in the cellar were the service all the flowers were placed in the pleaded with him saying that he had already brought over to the church and it loaded the corner and it made my grandmother sick. lost his son and he was afraid he was going to place right up. The minister said he had She made a promise then that anyone in the lose his wife. The diver's son finally agreed never seen so many flowers, and it looked family that died in the winter their flowers and my grandfather said whatever the cost I like the whole town of Skowhegan was would be given to people rather than put will find a way to get the money to pay you. coming for the funeral. The minister also into place like that, She kept that promise The diver arrived, went down and his knew that my grandfather was deaf, so he till her dying day. first trip up in the place the psychic said he saved his sermon papers for him to read, brought up the sled. His second time he so that he knew what was going on. When http://mytreestories.blogspot.com/

my French. I worked the better part of the Lapierre Family winter, 2001-2002, translatiing to English, Sister-Marie-St-Agnes’ book. I purchased a copier and have produced 50 copies of her By Daniel Lapierre work, too important to be unread. Translator & Publisher I have agreed to share it with the Le Forum readership. Here is the first install- Introduction: On Feb. 23, 2001, ment. since I knew there was a genealogy book that existed, written by Sister Marie-Agnes The first “La Pierre dit Denis” Ca- Lapierre, I asked my Uncle Roger Lapierre, nadian ancestors of the Lapierre family for permission to borrow the manual. My was “Pierre”, son of Blaise and Jeanne Aunt Jean (Roger’s wife) took it from their LaPonche. Pierre was born in 1656 in the safe, where it had been preserved for the last parish of St. Martin in the village of Nerac, 37 years, because the last person to have read France. He married Marie Anne Goudin, Sister Marie-Agnes Lapierre it was Alfred Lapierre on April 6, 1965, as a widow of St. Laurent on Oct. 8, 1687 in is so stated in the front of the book. Alfred the parish of St. Laurent, where his wife Marie was the grandmother of Rever- Lapierre was Neil Lapierre’s brother. The used to live during her first marriage. After end Antoine Gosselin, first resident pastor at book was molded and fragile, but in good their first-born, they returned in 1689; they St. Bruno’s, Van Buren. It was a great honor condition, with its own green cover. The returned to the farm of his wife, which is for his mother to have been able to attend his book was 6 x 8, and the photography was where they brought up their family “the ordination to the priesthood in 1828. Marie not clear enough to be reprinted. LaPierre’s” until the 4th generation, on the passed away in 1838 at the age of 99. But nevertheless, I copied the book, same homestead. In 1838, Father Gosselin came to 146 pages, and returned it to Roger as This is how the name LaPierre was St. Bruno’s, bringing with him, his cousin soon as possible. One of the problems adopted. Because the neighbors referred to Joseph (5) Lapierre and his sister Adelaide was that it was in French. Having been the land of Mrs. Pierre as “La Pierre” and as directrice of his presbytaire. The poor a poor student in French, in High School, had returned to her farm, so he was known (Acadians) scattered along the banks of the French was not my life’s calling. But with as Pierre La Pierre. They had six children, St. John River had been without a priest the help of French language software on Pierre-Jacque, Marie, Joseph, Charles, for so long and had been begging Quebec my laptop and the use of Roger Lapierre’s Marguerite, and Anne. We can say that the to send them a priest. Father Gosselin was French-English dictionary, given to him by authentic cradle of this family is the parish their answer. Father was of a very origi- Camille Lapierre, I proceeded to improve of St. Laurent, Isle d’Orleans. (Continued on page 46) 45 Le Forum (Lapierre Family continued from page 45) After 12 years of exile in a strange land this real Canadian could not resist nal character, somewhat nervous, having leaving any longer, being lonesome for his charge of all along the St. John River from parents, relatives, friends and his native land. the Quebec line to Woodstock, and even to This little family left Cyr Plantation by horse Red Rapids. He had to till the soil and hire and buggy for his homeland. They visited someone to look after the crops when he Montreal by ways of Riviere du Loup and was away visiting his parishioners. There visited St. Laurent. It was the one and only were but three French Catholic families at time he visited his homeland because his the time. He had to say Mass in the house of wife died June 8, 1858, cause unknown. She the Roberge, descendants of the Roberts of is buried in St. Bruno’s cemetery, Van Buren. today. Reverend Gosselin was at St. Bruno’s Joseph remarried in February, 1859, parish for 14 years from 1838 to 1852. He to Madeleine Parent, daughter of Jean and died at the age of 72. His life among the Angelique Thibodeau Parent of Hamlin. dispersed Acadians was lived with a heart The marriage was blest by Father McK- and soul of an Apostle. Father Gosselin was eaney, pastor of St. Bruno’s. They had four the answer to many prayers and also brought children; only one survived, Suzanne, who the first LaPierre to the United States. later married Florent Thibodeau of Grand In 1838, when only 16 years old, Isle, Maine. Again Joseph faced the sadness Joseph LaPierre, oldest son of a family of of losing his second wife on May 13, 1864. 14, came as a helper to his cousin, Father Reverend Antoine Gosselin, first resident The loss of his loved ones was a severe Gosselin. The priest claimed that Joseph pastor blow to take. With his Christian faith and was rendering help as a singer, serving Mass at St. Bruno’s, Van Buren. courage he was able to manage for a while. and was a very clever carpenter. Joseph’s used a sickle to cut the hay and grain. In He needed a mother for his children and a only aim was to be of great service to his winter he ground the grain with a homemade companion for himself. On February 14, cousin. On the other hand, the humble “fleu”; he would fabricate his own shingle by 1865, he married his third wife, Marguerite pastor of St. Bruno’s treated his “protege” hand. In the spring he would go down the St. Cyr, daughter of Germain and Emillienne with a paternal kindness. After serving the John River on a barge to Grand Falls where Lizotte. Mr. LaPierre was a man of medium good pastor without restrain for many years, he would trade his own products for fish, height and fair complexion. He was good Joseph started thinking of having a home kerosine oil, leather, etc. The maples would natured and a fervent Christian. He’d make of his own. furnish the sugar and syrup. He would raise a big sacrifice to attend Mass, rain or shine, In 1815 legislature allocated the con- his own meat, sufficient for the years. snow or storm. He’d seen days in winter he struction of a road from Aroostook Road The mother also played a great part, had to leave early to shovel snow with his to Grand Falls, now the so-called Caribou as she would spin and weave the wool and son Joseph6 and neighbors in order to attend Road to Hamlin. Joseph LaPierre chose linen made from flax for all their clothing Mass and return at 1:00 p.m. tired, but happy Lot #20, three miles from Violet Brook, which was sewed by hand. Their only light to have accomplished his Christian duty. now Van Buren. A pioneer of those days is was from candles. shoes were also home- His third wife was also very talented partly a hero, having to work with the ax; made and everyone had his own shoes and and intelligent person. She could have ad- to open roads and cut trees is the work of moccasins and all were content and happy. ministered to all her neighbors. Instead of an energetic soul. complaining to anyone about her aches and Inside of four years, with hard labor pains, she would sing “Le Kyrie Eleison”. and with faith, this young man had built a They were blest with 15 children, of whom home and barn with logs squared off by seven were still living at the time the “LaPi- hand, and covered with homemade clap- erre Ancestors” picture was taken, and two boards and a roof of shingle. He was a from previous marriages. They were, Joseph poor young man of this earth’s richness, but from his first marriage; Suzanne from his good in God’s help, he was generous, very second marriage; and from his third mar- courageous and had faith. riage, Napoleon, Vital, Edith, Demerise, On the 5th of February 1850, Father Melvina, Lea, and Laura. Antoine Gosselin blest the first LaPierre’s As the years went by, Mr. Joseph wedding, uniting Joseph and Demerise LaPierre5 felt that his health was failing and Madore daughter of Augustin and Marie suddenly came down with Pleurisy. After Dube Madore. receiving the Last Sacraments, he placed Born at Isle Verte, P.Q., their first and his will in order, leaving his eldest son, only child of Demerise and Joseph was born Napoleon, (eldest son by his third wife), as September 24, 1851. These brave pioneers heir of his homestead. He willed to Vital the continued tilling the land with wooden adjoining Lot #22. With the care and medi- plows, pulled by two oxen. He grew wheat, cine of those days he departed on December oats, buchwheat, flax and vegetables. He Napoleon’s Barn (Continued on page 47) 46 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (Lapierre Family continued from page 46) by Father Richer. Joseph6 was a very honest and devoted man and his word was as good as gold. He had a prompt character and dignified, aimable by all. He loved music passionate- ly. His wife played a great role in his life. She was an incomparable wife and mother. They were blest with 11 children. Marie Ange, the oldest, entered the convent of the Good Shepherd on November 19, 1904 and made her profession July 4, 1907, professed in 1910 as Sister Marie de Saint Adolphe, died Jan. 16, 1928. Severin7 who died from diptheria April 14, 1896, eight days after his brother Patrick died of the same disease. RELIGIOUS ITEMS After a day’s work came milking time Flavie7, married in Salem, MA, Nov. 9, 1914, to Alex Landry, a barber, but had FOR SALE! 24, 1893, at the age of 71, leaving his wife no children. and their children behind. After a couple Abel7, born March 12, 1889; died of years, Napoleon and Vital exchanged November 18, 1889. Rosaries, Statues, properties and responsibilities. The mother, Patrick7, born September 18, 1890; filled with loneliness and sorrow, wanted to died from diptheria April 6, 1896. Crucifix, Medals, First get closer to the Church, so she moved to Anonyme7 the village of Van Buren. A couple years Louis (alias William, Billy and Wil- Communion and Con- later the LaPierre’s homestead was conveyed lie), married Albina LaPierre (a cousin) at to the Deveau family. Mrs. LaPierre spent Lewiston May 28, 1928, died in 1952. firmation items, Vizor her last years with her son-in-law, Elzear Leonile (Neil)7, born August 16, 1895, Clips, Key Chains! Lapointe and daughter, Lea. She died Oc- married Flavie Soucy February 3, 1920. tober 26, 1914, at the age of 78. They are the parents of our 1970 residents, Roger and Donald.8 They had 12 children; At left, Mrs. Demerise Madore Other Items, scarves, LaPierre, wife of Mr. Joseph LaPierre, Sr., at right. bonnets, dishcloths, The picture above shows Mr. pichous and afghans! LaPierre’s first wife. He had three wives, of whom two preceded him in death. By his first wife, Demerise (Madore) he had a son, Joseph. By his second wife, Madeleine (Parent) he had four children but only one, Suzanne survived. By his third wife, Marguerite (Cyr) he had 15 children. Among them were Demerise, Edith, Napoleon, Melvina, Lea and Laura. Some died young. Joseph Lapierre6 Roger, Donald, Sylvio, Euclide, Conrad, Gerard, Camille, Leopold, Leopoldine, Ger- Joseph6 at the age of 14, after his aldine, Carmen, Carmella, Janette. father remarried the third time, could not Anonyme, 1896. adjust to his new mother. He devoted all his affection toward his father. A few years before Joseph6’s marriage, his father willed Contact: him a parcel of land, Lot #18, neighbor to his. He built him a house suitable for a large The Berubes family. At the age of 26, Joseph6 chose for his companion, Marie Bourgoin, a teacher, 290 Main St. born in Grand Isle, Me., March 9, 1853, daughter of Beloni Bourgoin and Solome Van Buren, ME 04785 Cyr. The marriage took place at St. Bruno’s St. Bruno’s Church 207-868-5164 on September 3, 1877 in the old church, blest 47 Le Forum Franco-American Families DUBÉ of Maine (Dubay) par Bob Chenard, Waterville, Maine Mathurin Dubé, born 1631 in France, died 1695 in PQ, son of Jean Dubé and Renée Suzanne from the townfelzé of la Chapelle Thémer, department of Vendée, ancient province of Les Familles Dubé Poitou, France, married on 3 September 1670 at Ste.Famille, Ile d'Orléans, PQ to "Fille-du-Roi" Marie-Catherine Campion, born 1654 in France, died between 1697 and 1704 in PQ, daughter of Pierre Campion and Marguerite Hénault from the parish of St.Nicaïse, city of Rouen, department Welcome to my column. Over the of Seine-Maritime, ancient province of Normandie, France. The town of la Chapelle-Thémer is years Le Forum has published numerous located 12 miles east-northeast of the city of Luçon. families. Copies of these may still be available by writing to the Franco-American Pierre 29 Jan 1821 M.-Rose Pellerin Yamachiche 167 Center. Listings such as this one are never 64 Jean-Baptiste 15 Feb 1814 Françoise Duval St.Jean-Port-Joli 168a complete. However, it does provide you with 65 Pierre-Marcel 08 Nov 1831 M.-Olympe Pruneau St.Roch-Aulnaies 168b my most recent and complete file of mar- 66 Fabien/Flavien 14 Nov 1837 Constance Lebel St.Patrice, R.-Lp. 169 riages tied to the original French ancestor. Joseph 04 Nov 1839 Nathalie Côté St.Patrice, R.-Lp. 170 How to use the family listings: The left-hand (Jérôme Côté & Suzanne Tardif) column lists the first name (and middle name Abraham 11 Oct 1842 Henriette Caron St.Patrice, R.-Lp. 171 or initial, if any) of the direct descendants of Bernard 22 Nov 1842 Marie-Charlotte Caron St.Patrice 172 the ancestor identified as number 1 (or A, in Louis* 1m. 11 Feb 1839 Emelie Malenfant St.Patrice, R.-Lp. 172a some cases). The next column gives the date " 2m. 26 Apr 1842 Angèle Morin St.André, Kam. of marriage, then the spouce (maiden name " 3m. 20 Nov 1849 Marie Gagnon St.André, Kam. 172b if female) followed by the town in which the *NOTE: error in original (1839) marriage: mother as Catherine Proulx marriage took place. There are two columns At his first marriage, two of his brothers were witnesses: Fabien and Joseph. of numbers. The one on the left side of the 67 Jean-M. 1m. 27 Jan 1818 Anastasie Dupont St.Roch-Aulnaies page, e.g., #2, is the child of #2 in the right “ 2m. 16 Jan 1827 M.-Thècle Lord Lotbinière 173a column of numbers. His parents are thus (b.20-1-1808, Ambroise Lord & M.-Thècle Bélanger) #1 in the left column of numbers. Also, it Gabriel 07 Jan 1823 Scholastique Caron St.Roch-Aulnaïes 173b should be noted that all the persons in the Romain 17 Jul 1826 M.-Louise Lord/Laure St.Roch-Aulnaïes 174 first column of names under the same num- 68 François 26 Jan 1841 Angélique Rossignol St.Patrice, Riv.-Lp. 176 ber are siblings (brothers & sisters). There Michel 1m. 26 Aug 1851 Adélaïde Nadeau St.Patrice 177/68A may be other siblings, but only those who “ 2m. 09 Feb 1880 Rosalie Cloutier St.Honoré, Témis. had descendants that married in Maine are 69 Gabriel 1m. 18 Jan 1820 Scholastique Michaud St.Patrice 69A listed in order to keep this listing limited in “ 2m. 03 Oct 1836 Lucie Bouchard St.Patrice, Riv.-Loup size. The listing can be used up or down - to Pierre 19 Jan 1830 Soulange Bélanger St.Roch-Aulnaies 178 find parents or descendants. The best way 71 Antoine 17 Jan 1804 Angélique Goulet St.Gervais, Blchs. 180 to see if your ancestors are listed here is to 72 Pierre 19 Apr 1819 Marie Couture St.Gervais, Blchs. 182 look for your mother’s or grandmother’s Antoine 04 May 1819 M.-Luce Laferrière St.Pierre-Sud 183 maiden name. Once you are sure you have Joseph 14 Aug 1821 Marie-Mgte. Gaumond St.Pierre-Sud 184 the right couple, take note of the number Dominique 31 May 1824 Flavie Lemieux Cap St.Ignace 185 in the left column under which their names Louis 18 Jan 1833 Catherine Galibois Berthier-s-Mer 72A appear. Then, find the same number in the 74 Edouard 03 Feb 1823 Florence Michaud Rivière-Ouelle 186 right-most column above. For example, if 75 Rémi 17 Nov 1815 M.-Thècle Michaud St.André, Kam. it’s #57C, simply look for #57C on the right Romain 05 Nov 1816 Soulange Michaud St.André, Kam. 187 above. Repeat the process for each genera- Léandre 08 Oct 1822 Rose Marquis Cacouna, R.-Lp. 188 tion until you get back to the first family in Edmond 04 Sep 1826 Geneviève Gagnon Cacouna, R.-Lp. 189a the list. The numbers with alpha suffixes Joseph 07 Aug 1827 Zoé Saindon Rivière-Ouelle 189b (e.g. 57C) are used mainly for couple who Séverin-J. 16 Feb 1830 Victoire Dionne Rivière-Ouelle190/75A married in Maine. Marriages that took place Odilon 09 Feb 1830 Henriette Boucher Rivière-Ouelle 191 in Canada normally have no suffixes with the Jean-Bte. 02 Feb 1841 M.-Françoise Lebel Rivière-Ouelle 75B rare exception of small letters, e.g., “13a.” 77 Antoine 09 Nov 1812 Marie Larrivée Trois-Pistoles 192 If there are gross errors or missing families, Magloire 22 Jan 1828 Josette/Suzanne Pelletier Kamouraska 193 my sincere appologies. I have taken utmost Rémi 21 Feb 1832 M.-Elianthe Martin Isle-Verte 194 care to be as accurate as possible. Please 78 Olivier 14 Feb 1831 Marie Lyonnais St.Frs.-Lac, Yam. write to the FORUM staff with your correc- Joseph 16 Jan 1838 Priscille Chassé Cacouna, R.-Lp. 195 tions and/or additions with your supporting Michel 18 Oct 1841 Angèle Thériault Isle-Verte 196 data. I provide this column freely with the Basile 05 Oct 1845 Anastasie Poitras Ste.Luce, Rimouski purpose of encouraging Franco-Americans Jean-Bte. ? circa 1840 Françoise Hébert ? 78A to research their personal genealogy and to (b.1806 – d. 4-12-1861 St.Arsène) take pride in their rich heritage. (Continued on page 49) 48 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 (Les Familles Dubé continued from page 48) 80 Alexandre 07 Nov 1815 Véronique Levesque Rivière-Ouelle 81 Alexandre 30 Jan 1849 Marguerite Simard Rimouski 198/81A 82 Joseph 17 Nov 1812 M.-Charlotte Daris Rivière-Ouelle 199 (Barthélémy Daris & Josephte Sirois) Pierre 17 Nov 1829 Mathilde/Martine Hudon Kamouraska 200a (b.28-6-1790 St.Louis) Firmin 04 Sep 1826 Apolline Leblanc New Richmond, Bon. 200b Romain 1m. 19 Sep 1832 Modeste Rioux Trois-Pistoles 200c “ 2m. 23 Sep 1844 Domitilde Chamberland St.Simon, Rim. 200d Pierre 29 Jan 1821 M.-Rose Pellerin Yamachiche 167 83 Magloire 1m. 10 Jan 1802 Marie Bergeron Isle-Verte 64 Jean-Baptiste 15 Feb 1814 Françoise Duval St.Jean-Port-Joli 168a “ 2m. 26 Jun 1826 Esther Laplante Isle-Verte 201 65 Pierre-Marcel 08 Nov 1831 M.-Olympe Pruneau St.Roch-Aulnaies 168b Romain 19 Apr 1836 M.-Louise Blanchet Rimouski 202 66 Fabien/Flavien 14 Nov 1837 Constance Lebel St.Patrice, R.-Lp. 169 84 Joseph 02 Nov 1825 M.-Marguerite Cyr St.Basile, NB 84A Joseph 04 Nov 1839 Nathalie Côté St.Patrice, R.-Lp. 170 (b.8-8-1805 St.Basile)(Hilarion Cyr & M.-Charlotte Tardif) (Jérôme Côté & Suzanne Tardif) Isidore 11 Nov 1828 M.-Madl./Mgte. Cyr-Crock St.Basile, NB 84B Abraham 11 Oct 1842 Henriette Caron St.Patrice, R.-Lp. 171 (b.(Hilarion Cyr & M.-Charlotte Tardif) Bernard 22 Nov 1842 Marie-Charlotte Caron St.Patrice 172 Abraham1m. 09 Nov 1832 Marianne Michaud St.Basile, NB 84C Louis* 1m. 11 Feb 1839 Emelie Malenfant St.Patrice, R.-Lp. 172a (b.1814 NB) " 2m. 26 Apr 1842 Angèle Morin St.André, Kam. “ 2m. 15 May 1872 Séraphine Sirois Grand Sault, NB " 3m. 20 Nov 1849 Marie Gagnon St.André, Kam. 172b (b.8-12-1804 St.Basile, NB) (b.1813 Canada) *NOTE: error in original (1839) marriage: mother as Catherine Proulx Germain 07 Apr 1834 Modeste Cyr St.Basile, NB 84D At his first marriage, two of his brothers were witnesses: Fabien and Joseph. (b.30-12-1815 St.Basile)(Hilarion Cyr & M.-Charlotte Tardif) 67 Jean-M. 1m. 27 Jan 1818 Anastasie Dupont St.Roch-Aulnaies 86 Alexandre 18 Feb 1822 Pétronille Pineau Rimouski 203 “ 2m. 16 Jan 1827 M.-Thècle Lord Lotbinière 173a Pierre (#1) 22 Apr 1822 Angèle Levesque Rivière-Ouelle 204 (b.20-1-1808, Ambroise Lord & M.-Thècle Bélanger) Pierre (#2) 23 Nov 1825 Judith Ouellet Kamouraska 205 Gabriel 07 Jan 1823 Scholastique Caron St.Roch-Aulnaïes 173b Prosper 07 Jan 1829 Henriette Michaud Rivière-Ouelle 206a Romain 17 Jul 1826 M.-Louise Lord/Laure St.Roch-Aulnaïes 174 Elie 02 Mar 1829 Charlotte Ruest Rimouski 206b 68 François 26 Jan 1841 Angélique Rossignol St.Patrice, Riv.-Lp. 176 François-X. 06 Aug 1833 Henriette Caron St.Roch-Aulnaïes 207 Michel 1m. 26 Aug 1851 Adélaïde Nadeau St.Patrice 177/68A Jean-Honoré 16 Sep 1834 M.-Rosalie Malenfant Trois-Pistoles 208 “ 2m. 09 Feb 1880 Rosalie Cloutier St.Honoré, Témis. 88 Honoré-Michel 24 Oct 1814 M.-Victoire Roy-Desj. Kamouraska 209 69 Gabriel 1m. 18 Jan 1820 Scholastique Michaud St.Patrice 69A “ 2m. 24 Nov 1817 M.-Anne Roy-Desj. Kamouraska “ 2m. 03 Oct 1836 Lucie Bouchard St.Patrice, Riv.-Loup (b.6-10-1794 Kamouraska) (Jean-Bte. & M.-Josephte Ouellet) Pierre 19 Jan 1830 Soulange Bélanger St.Roch-Aulnaies 178 Jean-Baptiste 11 Jan 1819 M.-Euphrosine Sergerie Kamouraska 210 71 Antoine 17 Jan 1804 Angélique Goulet St.Gervais, Blchs. 180 dit St.Jorre 72 Pierre 19 Apr 1819 Marie Couture St.Gervais, Blchs. 182 Olivier 1m. 23 Oct 1832 Angélique Dionne Kamouraska Antoine 04 May 1819 M.-Luce Laferrière St.Pierre-Sud 183 " 2m. 05 Nov 1844 Louise Levesque Kamouraska 212 Joseph 14 Aug 1821 Marie-Mgte. Gaumond St.Pierre-Sud 184 Antoine 1m. 20 Nov 1832 Euphémie Martin Rivière-Ouelle Dominique 31 May 1824 Flavie Lemieux Cap St.Ignace 185 (d.20-2-1838 of childbirth) Louis 18 Jan 1833 Catherine Galibois Berthier-s-Mer 72A “ 2m. 09 Apr 1839 Adélaide Roy-Desjardins Kamouraska 213 74 Edouard 03 Feb 1823 Florence Michaud Rivière-Ouelle 186 François-Zéph. 30 Sep 1834 Josephte Poirier (b.1812) Longueuil, Chambly 214 75 Rémi 17 Nov 1815 M.-Thècle Michaud St.André, Kam. (b.28-2-1807 Kam.) (b. 1811 - d.8-10-1892 Holyoke, age 82) Romain 05 Nov 1816 Soulange Michaud St.André, Kam. 187 (Etienne Poirier & M.-Josephte Moquin) Léandre 08 Oct 1822 Rose Marquis Cacouna, R.-Lp. 188 89 Cyrille-Jn. 1m. 22 Oct 1821 Josephte Bouchard Rivière-Ouelle Edmond 04 Sep 1826 Geneviève Gagnon Cacouna, R.-Lp. 189a “ 2m. 24 Nov 1829 Osithée Bérubé Rivière-Ouelle 215 Joseph 07 Aug 1827 Zoé Saindon Rivière-Ouelle 189b 90 Tiburce 03 Nov 1840 Angélique Lamarre Rivière-Ouelle 216 Séverin-J. 16 Feb 1830 Victoire Dionne Rivière-Ouelle190/75A 91a François 11 Aug 1840 M.-Vitaline Boucher Rivière-Ouelle 217a Odilon 09 Feb 1830 Henriette Boucher Rivière-Ouelle 191 Charles-Timothée 01 Feb 1847 Euphémie Pouliot St.André, Kam. Jean-Bte. 02 Feb 1841 M.-Françoise Lebel Rivière-Ouelle 75B (Dr./médécin, ecuyer) 77 Antoine 09 Nov 1812 Marie Larrivée Trois-Pistoles 192 Jean-Bte. 28 Nov 1848 Justine Martin Rivière-Ouelle 217b Magloire 22 Jan 1828 Josette/Suzanne Pelletier Kamouraska 193 91bAmbroise 1m. 27 Jul 1830 Isabelle Fortin l’Acadie Rémi 21 Feb 1832 M.-Elianthe Martin Isle-Verte 194 “ 2m. 22 Feb 1841 Sophie Ste.Marie l’Acadie 218a 78 Olivier 14 Feb 1831 Marie Lyonnais St.Frs.-Lac, Yam. (b.21-11-1803 Louiseville, Maskinongé) Joseph 16 Jan 1838 Priscille Chassé Cacouna, R.-Lp. 195 92a Jean-Bte.24 Apr 1815 Geneviève Brodeur l’Acadie, St.Jean cty. 218b Michel 18 Oct 1841 Angèle Thériault Isle-Verte 196 92b Pierre 01 May 1848 Eloise Massé Louiseville, Mask. 218c Basile 05 Oct 1845 Anastasie Poitras Ste.Luce, Rimouski Joseph 10 Jul 1848 M.-Salomée Desjarlais Louiseville, Maskin. 219 Jean-Bte. ? circa 1840 Françoise Hébert ? 78A 93 Jean-Bte.1m. 30 Oct 1854 Angèle Paradis Kamouraska (b.1806 – d. 4-12-1861 St.Arsène) (Continued on page 50) 49 Le Forum (Les Familles Dubé continued from page 49) " 2m. 11 Oct 1864 Victoire Ruais St.Pascal, Kam. 93A “ 3m. 10 Jul 1871 Delphine Pelletier St.André, Kam. 93B 94 Jean-Bte. 18 Oct 1864 Clémentine Beaulieu Les Escoumins, Sag. 93C 95 Théophile 10 Feb 1874 M.-Philomène Pelletier St.Arsène, R.-Lp. 95A George 01 Jul 1878 Georgina Côté Cacouna, R.-Lp. 96 Gédéon 03 Oct 1837 Emélie Boisbrillant Kamouraska 220 97 Joseph 1m. 24 Oct 1826 Clarisse Ouellet Isle-Verte “ 2m. 07 Jan 1861 Luce Levesque Ste.Flavie, Rim. 97A Paschal 1m. 10 Sep 1832 Lavinia McEarchern Isle-Verte 221 " 2m. 27 Jul 1846 Virginie Gagnon Isle-Verte 222 Germain 26 Sep 1838 Olympe Petit-St.Pierre Isle-Verte 223 Hilaire 11 Jan 1842 Séraphine Côté Isle-Verte 224 George 07 Jan 1851 Angéline Miville-Desch. St.Patrice, R.-Lp. 225a Cyrille 11 Nov 1851 Eléonore Dion Isle-Verte 98 Prosper 19 Sep 1837 Marie-Poméla Lavoie St.Pascal, Kam. 225b (b.23-9-1801 St.Louis-de-Kamouraska) Emélie 10 Sep 1854 Baptiste Gauvin Van Buren, ME 99 Pierre 29 Jan 1833 M.-Louise Levasseur St.André, Kam. 226 Louis 1m. 21 Jan 1845 Christine/Delph. Landry St.André, Kam. 227a “ 2m. 08 Feb 1864 Hélène Laforge ND-du-Portage 227b 100 Cuthbert 10 Feb 1840 Séraphine Côté Isle-Verte 228 (widow of André Côté) Maxime 27 Feb 1843 Nathalie Paradis St.Simon, Rim. 229 François 12 Sep 1843 Josephte “Léa” Charest Trois-Pistoles 230 Narcisse 12 Jan 1846 M.-Obierge Paradis St.Simon, Rim. 231a Octave 23 Nov 1847 Catherine Canuel Rimouski, Rim. 231b Pierre 10 Oct 1848 Marguerite Chenel Rimouski 232 101 Antoine 25 Aug 1862 Rose-de-Lima Brien St.Laurent, Montréal 102 Noël-Ant.1m. 17 Feb 1806 Perpétue Gagnon Rivière-Ouelle “ 2m. 07 Nov 1808 Josephte Bonenfant Rivière-Ouelle 233 “ 3m. 19 Feb 1816 M.-Florence Bérubé Rivière-Ouelle 234 Vincent 31 Jul 1810 M.-Charlotte Gagnon Kamouraska 235 François 04 Aug 1812 Véronique Bonenfant Rivière-Ouelle 236a 103 Olivier 1m. 28 Jan 1840 Emilie Côté Trois-Pistoles 236b “ 2m. 26 Jul 1842 M.-Modeste Levesque Cacouna, R.-Lp. (b.1800 – d.29-8-1873 Isle-Verte) 104 Alexis 30 Jul 1810 M.-Egyptienne Brisson les Becquets, Nico. 237 105 Jean-Baptiste 27 Sep 1825 Véronique Beaulieu Rivière-Ouelle 238 Alexis ! 1m. 02 Jul 1850 Joséphine St.Pierre Trois-Pistoles “ 2m. 24 May 1859 Emérence Dallaire Chicoutimi 106a Louis 22 Feb 1819 M.-Catherine Pelletier Kamouraska 239 Edouard 1m. 19 Aug 1822 Cécile Lajoie-Normandin Rivière-Ouelle 240 “ 2m. 07 Jan 1851 Delphine Servant Rivière-Ouelle 106A Adrien 05 May 1823 Julie Roussel Rivière-Ouelle 241a François 21 Sep 1835 Priscille Guy Rivière-Ouelle 241b 106b George 04 Jul 1837 M.-Modeste Bérubé Rivière-Ouelle 241c Edouard 12 Sep 1842 Domitilde Levesque Trois-Pistoles Louis-Stanislas 08 Nov 1842 M.-Adeline Levesque Trois-Pistoles Guillaume ‘Wm.’ 19 May 1845 M.-Louise Gaudreau La Baie, Chicoutimi 241d Bernard 04 Nov 1851 Justine Levesque Rivière-Ouelle Jean 29 Aug 1854 Apolline Mignot-Labrie St.Roch-Aulnaies 241e 107 Jean-Bte. 30 Jun 1817 Marguerite Périgny Batiscan, Champl. 242a Maurice 31 Jan 1837 Françoise Trottier St.Stanislas 242b Dosithée 03 Sep 1844 Adèle Ouellet St.Pascal, Kam. 242c 108 François 15 Aug 1826 Marcelline Consigny* Rivière-Ouelle 243 *dit Sansfaçon Thomas circa 1827 M.-Angèle Caron Rivière-Ouelle ! 244 (Les Familles Dubé will be continued in the Winter issue of Le Forum) 50 FALL/AUTOMNE 2018 Hanging Hand Please Help Us! 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THE FRANCO AMERICAN CENTRE LE CENTRE FRANCO AMÉRICAlN DE OF THE l’UNIVERSITÉ DU MAINE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE Le Bureau des Affaires franco-américains de l’Université du The University of Maine Office of Franco American Affairs was Maine fut fondé en 1972 par des étudiants et des bénévoles de la founded in 1972 by Franco American students and community volun- communauté franco-américaine. Cela devint par conséquent le Centre teers. It subsequently became the Franco American Centre. Franco-Américain. From the onset, its purpose has been to introduce and integrate the Dès le départ, son but fut d’introduire et d’intégrer le Fait Fran- Maine and Regional Franco American Fact in post-secondary academe co-Américain du Maine et de la Région dans la formation académique and in particular the University of Maine. post-secondaire et en particulier à l’Université du Maine. Given the quasi total absence of a base of knowledge within the Étant donné l’absence presque totale d’une base de connaissance University about this nearly one-half of the population of the State of à l’intérieur même de l’Université, le Centre Franco-Américain s’efforce Maine, this effort has sought to develop ways and means of making d’essayer de développer des moyens pour rendre cette population, son this population, its identity, its contributions and its history visible on identité, ses contributions et son histoire visible sur et en-dehors du and off campus through seminars, workshops, conferences and media campus à travers des séminaires, des ateliers, des conférences et des efforts — print and electronic. efforts médiatiques — imprimé et électronique. The results sought have been the redressing of historical neglect Le résultat espéré est le redressement de la négligence et de l’ig- and ignorance by returning to Franco Americans their history, their lan- norance historique en retournant aux Franco-Américains leur histoire, guage and access to full and healthy self realizations. Further, changes leur langue et l’accès à un accomplissement personnel sain et complet. within the University’s working, in its structure and curriculum are De plus, des changements à l’intérieur de l’académie, dans sa structure sought in order that those who follow may experience cultural equity, et son curriculum sont nécessaires afin que ceux qui nous suivent puisse have access to a culturally authentic base of knowledge dealing with vivre l’expérience d’une justice culturelle, avoir accès à une base de French American identity and the contribution of this ethnic group to connaissances culturellement authentique qui miroite l’identité et la this society. contribution de ce groupe ethnique à la société. MISSION OBJECTIFS: • To be an advocate of the Franco-American Fact at the Uni- 1 – D’être l’avocat du Fait Franco-Américain à l’Université du versity of Maine, in the State of Maine and in the region, and Maine, dans l’État du Maine et dans la région. • To provide vehicles for the effective and cognitive ex- 2 – D’offrir des véhicules d’expression affective et cognitive d’une pression of a collective, authentic, diversified and effective voice for voix franco-américaine effective, collective, authentique et diversifiée. Franco-Americans, and 3 – De stimuler le développement des offres de programmes • To stimulate the development of academic and non-academic académiques et non-académiques à l’Université du Maine et dans program offerings at the University of Maine and in the state relevant l’État du Maine, relatant l’histoire et l’expérience de la vie de ce groupe to the history and life experience of this ethnic group and ethnique. • To assist and support Franco-Americans in the actualization 4 – D’assister et de supporter les Franco-Américains dans l’ac- of their language and culture in the advancement of careers, personal tualisation de leur langue et de leur culture dans l’avancement de leurs growth and their creative contribution to society, and carrières, de l’accomplissement de leur personne et de leur contribution • To assist and provide support in the creation and implemen- créative à la société. tation of a concept of pluralism which values, validates and reflects 5 – D’assister et d’offrir du support dans la création et l’implémen- affectively and cognitively the Multicultural Fact in Maine and else- tation d’un concept de pluralisme qui value, valide et reflète effectivement where in North America, and et cognitivement le fait dans le Maine et ailleurs en Amérique du Nord. • To assist in the generation and dissemination of knowledge 6 – D’assister dans la création et la publication de la connaissance about a major Maine resource — the rich cultural and language diversity à propos d’une ressource importante du Maine — la riche diversité of its people.